RWBY Talon's Professorhood
by VaanRat
Summary: Talon Teknos (a technological genius and martial arts master) and Michael Frost (a raccoon faunus with the powers of an Alpha Wendigo) become teachers at Beacon Academy. Talon's assistant, Rie Himora (a girl with complete control over Dust), becomes a student at Beacon. Follow along as they interact with old and new friends as well as fight old and new enemies.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to Beacon, Professors

Talon Teknos, Rie Himora, and Michael Frost, all 18, stepped off of the transport in front of Beacon. Rie, a beautiful girl of average height with black hair and brown eyes, gasped at how large Beacon Academy was up close. Talon- a fit, brown haired boy with one blue and one green eye, wearing black and red armor, and a calculating gaze- looked at his assistant, leaned over, and said: "We're here to be interviewed, which means we want to make a good impression on our interviewers. So get your mouth off of the ground and try to look dignified." She looked embarrassed at the last comment, and promptly clamped her mouth shut. Michael laughed. Rie turned on him.

"As if you weren't impressed at the size of Beacon." Rie said with a huff.

"I am. I'm just better at hiding it." Michael responded, still laughing. Michael is a tall, white haired boy. He is well defined, and has a white raccoon tail.

Rie rolled her eyes and started marching off- running right into a blonde woman and knocking her over. "I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking and I didn't see you!"

"Next time, pay attention," the woman said, getting up and dusting herself off. She readjusted her glasses on her stern face, picked up her riding crop, and reached for her books.

"Allow me, mam." Talon offered, gathering the woman's books and placed them in her hands. "I apologize for Rie. She can be a little scatterbrained at times." He smiled.

"And I thought chivalry was dead," the woman said as the ghost of a smile touched the corners of her lips before her stern expression came back. "Apology accepted. Judging by the armor you are wearing, am I right in assuming that you are Mr. Teknos?"

"You are correct. Talon, if you please. The girl who ran into you is my assistant and apprentice, Rie Himora. The man with the white hair and tail is Michael Frost."

"A pleasure," the blonde said. "My name is Glynda Goodwitch. I am to escort you to Professor Ozpin for your interview. Follow me." At Glynda's introduction, Rie gulped. _Great job, me…_ she thought as she, Talon, and Michael followed the stern blonde.

* * *

The three youths followed Glynda through the halls of Beacon. Talon never brought up the fact that they needed no escort to the Headmaster's office, since he had a detailed blueprint of Beacon in his armor's scroll. Glynda led them through the halls of Beacon without talking or slowing her stride. _She walks with a purpose. What can I learn about her from her walk and style of dress…_ Talon observed Glynda, taking mental notes. _Blonde hair, middle-aged, and very conservatively dressed. Wears a cape, white top with long sleeves, and a black skirt. Wears earrings. Moves with authority. Carries a riding crop, though with that skirt I don't think she does much on horseback. Final assessment…_ "Ms. Goodwitch? Are you in charge of discipline at this school?"

"That I am, Mr. Teknos." Glynda replied without breaking stride.

"How much longer until we reach the interview?" Rie asked, growing bored. It had been ten minutes since they arrived.

 _About 2 minutes, Rie._ Talon thought in response, but he waited to see if Glynda would respond.

"About 2 minutes, Ms. Himora. As you can see, this is a large school." Glynda sounded a bit annoyed, but also amused.

"Do you have any rum?" Michael asked. This stopped Glynda in her tracks. She wheeled around, surprise in her green eyes.

"I… I don't think so…" She said, genuinely shocked that he had asked.

"Well, I guess I'll have to settle for whiskey." Michael sighed, pulling a flask from his belt. Glynda, starting to recover, muttered something about a crow and alcohol. She turned around and started walking again, with the three youths following close behind.

* * *

One long elevator ride later, Glynda, Talon, Rie, and Michael stepped into a large circular room with gears above them and a lone table with a lone chair behind it. The chair, and the man in the chair, faced away from them. The man was middle-aged with silver hair. As he stood, Talon recognized him as the man who contacted him asking for an interview. "Professor Ozpin," Glynda stated as she walked to join him behind the table. Professor Ozpin smiled and motioned Glynda to pull up three chairs that were against the wall. Talon instinctively started for the chairs to help Ms. Goodwitch, only to see all three chairs moving in unison towards the table by themselves.

"Please, sit," The brown eyed man said, drinking from a coffee mug that has the Beacon Academy logo on it.

 _Silver hair, brown eyes, cane even though he doesn't seem to need it, and small shaded glasses. Suit, vest, and a green shirt underneath. Dark green pants. Purple pin on his cowl around his neck. Black shoes. Black eyebrows. Stance appears to be casual-formal, however this can be misleading. Seems experienced. Smile is natural. Final assessment…_ "I would picture someone like you on the battlefield, Professor. If you don't mind my asking, what made you decide to become headmaster of Beacon?" Ozpin's smile widened.

"I used to be on the battlefield, true. I can still fight, but I prefer to teach others to fight. No matter how skilled I am and how many fights I win, those skills and fights mean nothing if they die with me. Don't you feel the same about yourself, Mr. Teknos?"

"I do, but someone has to fight. My skills would mean nothing once I die, but they still count now. I want to hone my skills and fight so that one day, we won't ever have to." Talon and Ozpin held each other's gaze with no emotion. For a moment, they appeared as equals. Age and skill meant nothing for an instant that seemed an eternity. The image was heightened as they both smiled in unison, as if they reached some form of mutual understanding that only they could ever understand. Ozpin, breaking the moment, turned to Rie.

"Ms. Himora, what do you think about the martial arts?" Rie was stunned for a second.

"I- I don't think I understand the question." _What did that have to do with anything?_

"The martial arts. What is your opinion on them?" Rie looked at Talon, who now looked like he could be Glynda's brother for all the emotion his face showed. She looked at Michael, who just shrugged.

"Well, I personally have little need for them. My Semblance is complete control over dust. I have no need for hand-to-hand combat because my opponents never get that close." Ozpin nodded as if he expected that answer.

"And if they do get that close? What then?"

"I guess I would blow them away with dust." Rie was feeling a little uncomfortable at Ozpin's questioning.

Ozpin looked a little disappointed. "Ms. Himora, this strategy is… foolish. You may find this works most of the time, but there are times when this thinking could get you killed. What if the opponent finds a way around your Semblance? Or, what if they have a method to negate your Semblance entirely?" Rie flinched. _Does he know about Talon?_

Ozpin turned to Michael. "Mr. Frost, do you believe you would make a good teacher?" Michael, who was drinking from his flask, was stunned. He swallowed and said:

"I do." When asked to explain why, he said, "I feel like I'm a skilled enough fighter to train others. I can even give Talon a run for his money." At this, Ozpin turned to Talon, raising a questioning eyebrow. Talon simply nodded.

"I have all I need to know. Ms. Himora, you have been accepted to Beacon as a student. We don't have any accommodations for you, as students weren't supposed to arrive for 2 days." Ozpin turned to Glynda. "Give her some liyen for lodging and food." Glynda nodded and walked over to Rie, giving her some liyen.

"And us?" Michael asked nonchalantly.

"Forgive me for assuming," Talon said with no hint of apology- or of anything, for that matter, "but should I refer to you as Professor or boss?" Ozpin smiled.

"Neither. Ozpin or Oz will suffice. I like the staff of Beacon to refer to me by name and not by title." Talon smiled as Michael started:

"Wait! We're teachers!?" Ozpin's smile widened as he nodded.

"Glynda will escort you both to your rooms and tell you what your roles will be at this academy." Ozpin reached out his hands to Michael and Talon, who each shook one as Ozpin said: "Welcome to Beacon."


	2. Chapter2:A Farewell, a Hello, a Treasure

Talon and Michael said goodbye to Rie as she left the grounds. "We'll see you in a few days, Rie." Talon hugged his lifelong friend. "It'll be boring without you around." Rie laughed.

"Boring? With Michael around? Please. That's like saying an argument with Weiss would go my way. It's impossible unless you make it happen." Talon and Rie shared a knowing smile as Rie was separated from her friends by the transport's door.

After Talon and Michael said their farewells to Rie, they followed Glynda. _Just 2 days, Talon. She'll be fine for those 2 days. She isn't stupid or all that gullible._ Talon kept saying that in his head, still feeling uneasy about her being alone in Vale for 2 days. He was so worried about his childhood friend that he didn't even notice Michael and Glynda staring at him until Michael shook him. "Huh?"

"Are you okay, Mr. Teknos?" Glynda said, no real emotion on her stern face, but clear concern in her voice.

"Yes. I'm fine. Just wondering if Rie will be alright by herself, is all." He flashed a quick, fake smile.

"I understand that you and Ms. Himora are old friends, correct? It's only natural to feel concern." Glynda's face softened just a bit. "It speaks volumes of your capacity to care." The ghost of a smile returned to Glynda's lips again before she schooled her face once more into a stern expression.

"I'm fine. Honest. She's a big girl. If she can't handle herself for 2 days without me to guide her then she isn't Beacon material." Talon smiled, again without actually meaning it. _Rie, please prove me right about you._

"Talon, as you said, it's only 2 days," Michael offered, trying to cheer up Talon. "She will contact us if something goes wrong. She's smart and skilled with her Semblance. The only time she'll be in trouble is when she runs out of Dust, which won't happen any time soon."

 _But what if she doesn't see her attacker until he knocks her out? What if she's kidnapped? What if HE's here… Ok, now you're just being paranoid. There's little chance of Archangel being in Vale. Just calm down, Talon. Think about this logically. She is skilled and you yourself trained her in observation. If someone does take her hostage, chances are they'll have Dust somewhere nearby. She'll be fine._ "Yeah. You're right." Talon offered a genuine smile this time. "Shall we go?"

Glynda nodded, motioned the 2 boys to follow her, and turned to walk back into the school. "Mr. Frost," she said as she started walking, "you will be teaching the combat class alongside myself. Mr. Teknos, until we can think of what exactly to have you teach, you will be assisting Professor Port and Professor Oobleck as they teach. We will probably have a class for you within a month."

Michael's eyes lit up at the prospect of combat. "So, will I be teaching students firsthand or…?" Michael trailed off as Glynda turned to face him.

"We'll see, Mr. Frost. That depends on the skills of the students. If we have a student who believes they could hold their own against you or someone that I believe could, then you will have the opportunity to 'teach them firsthand.'" Glynda actually smiled a tiny bit at her own joke. Michael wilted a bit, then perked up as he remembered that Weiss Schnee would be coming to Beacon

 _I know she would think she could take me on._ "Ok. I can live with that." Michael took out his flask and drank some whiskey. Glynda shook her head, amused.

"So, shall we continue?" Talon offered, reminding Glynda that he and Michael don't know where their rooms are.

"Yes, we shall." Glynda turned and walked towards the school, with Talon and Michael close behind.

* * *

Rie found a hotel and payed in advance for 2 days. She didn't fully unpack, and went out to explore the city of Vale. _Ok, Talon would want me to try to learn the city. So, let's learn._

Two hours later, Rie found herself in the commercial district. She walked by a bar called the Crow Bar. As she walked past, a man walked out of the doors. "I told ya, no one can outdrink me!" the man shouted into the bar with a Scottish accent. The man- boy, really. Upon closer inspection he was the same age as Rie- looked like the bottom of a ship. He had barnacles all over his face, and had a crab claw gauntlet. Attached to his hip was what appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun. Despite the barnacles, the boy was handsome. The boy turned and saw her. "Now here's a pretty lass. You fancy a drink with me, lass?"

 _Pretty? Lass? Drink with him?_ "N- no thank you. I shouldn't drink. Talon says that I'm a "lightweight". She flushed. _Why did I say THAT!_

"That's a shame, lass. It's been far too long since I've shared a drink with a pretty lass such as yourself. If ya ever change your mind, ya can find me here tomorrow or on weekends once classes at Beacon start. Just ask for Sam Jones." He punctuated his name by tapping his chest. He winked at her.

 _He thinks I'm pretty? Maybe… it's only one drink… but I need to map out this district… Still, a drink with him…_ Rie flushed again without realizing it.

"Ya alright, lass? Your face is red as a tomato." Sam didn't sound mocking. "Sorry if my offer embarrassed or offended ya in some way." Rie flushed even more.

"I'm fine. I… just… It's really hot today." Rie flinched as a cool breeze blew past her. "I mean in comparison to Atlas weather. I'm here to be a student at Beacon." _Get it together, Rie. Control yourself._ She heard Talon's voice clearly in her head. _Remember, control is a wonderful defense. Almost a necessary one. Lose that, and your opponent gains the advantage because you start making mistakes. That happens, and it's game over._

"A student at Beacon, lass? Then I'll see you when classes start." Sam smiled and tipped his feathered tri-corned hat. "Good day miss…"

"Himora. Rie Himora." Rie smiled. Inside, Rie was swooning. _He's a student, too? I hope I get on his team…_

* * *

Ten "minutes after her interaction with Sam, Rie found herself in front of a bookstore named Tukson's Book Trade. When she went in, no one was inside. She walked to the counter and rang the bell. "One second," a deep voice called from a door behind the counter. When the door opened, a man with very large sideburns stepped through, carrying a box containing books. He looked almost wolfish. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, putting the books down. "This shipment just came in and I was just paying the man who brought them. Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun. My name is Tukson."

"EVERY book?!" Rie could barely contain her excitement. _If he has EVERY book, then he would have THAT one!_

"Well, every book I can find, anyway." Rie wilted a bit. Tukson noticed this, and tried to salvage the situation. "Why don't you tell me what book you're looking for, and I'll tell you if I have it in stock." Tukson flashed a quick, almost wolfish grin.

"I was just wondering if you had A Dance in Dust by Talon Teknos." Tukson started.

"I don't get a lot of requests for that one… Let me check in the back." Tukson walked into the back room, and returned a few minutes later with a book in his hand. "You're in luck, ma'am. We still have a copy."

Rie's eyes widened to the size of saucers. _He has it! He actually has it!_ "How much is it?"

"Well, it's a rare book and I only have the one copy… I also don't know if or when I'll get another…" Rie braced herself. "I'd say about 200 liyen."

Rie checked how much liyen she had, and nearly screamed in excitement. _I have enough! I can afford it!_ "I'll take it!" Tukson, pleased at the girl's excitement, smiled.

"Pleasure doing business with you miss…"

"Himora. Rie Himora. And the pleasure is all mine." Tukson started.

"Rie Himora? You're Talon's assistant, aren't you?" Rie flinched.

 _Great… Another person that I will be no more than "Talon's assistant" to..._ "That I am, Tukson. I aim to some day become the leading Dust expert in Remnant. Talon said he'd help me reach that point." Tukson smiled.

"A noble goal, Ms. Himora. That would explain why you would be searching for A Dance in Dust. That, and your connection to Mr. Teknos."

"Tukson, you have no idea how glad I am to have met you. I appreciate this book and will remember you for having it." Rie and Tukson smiled.

"I have some more books on Dust, if you're interested." Tukson indicated a shelf off to the side of the store.

"Thank you, but I'm a little bit busy. I'll come back soon, though. Thank you so much." Rie started to walk away. Before she reached the door, Tukson called her name. She turned to see another copy of A Dance in Dust in his hand.

"This copy is a bit used, but if you would like to trade it for your copy, you can." Rie, confused, walked back to see what was so special about this copy. Tukson handed it to her and allowed her to open it. Rie gasped as she read the inside of the cover.

 _A Dance in Dust_ _is more a book of instruction than a book of fiction. This book is written because of my assistant, Rie Himora. I hope that my words in this book help her achieve her dreams. Talon Teknos._

"Tukson, how do you…"

"It's mine. I know you are who this book was meant for. Besides, what use is a message like this to me? The instruction aspect of this book went right over my head. I can read the book without the message and other things he wrote in the margins for you to better understand his teachings."

"You could sell this for so much more than 200 liyen. I can't take this from you." Tukson laughed.

"Talon's father sent me this copy along with the other copies I received for sale. Talon's father and I go way back. He sent me the signed copy as a gift, and now I'm trading it to who the signed copy is really for." Rie was speechless. Here was one of the rarest things she'd ever seen. This book was worth so much more than Tukson was trading it for.

"Tukson… I… I don't know what to say…" Rie was close to tears. Tukson grabbed the new book and left Rie with the signed one.

"Just say 'It's a deal.'" He smiled. Rie, fighting back tears of joy, nodded her head. She hugged Tukson, who was surprised at first. He patted her head. "I hope you enjoy your purchase, Ms. Himora. Come again any time you like." Rie nodded. She turned, ran outside, and used her Semblance to create a hoverboard made entirely of Dust. She hopped on her Dust board and flew straight back to her hotel.

 _Thank you, Tukson. Thank you so much._


	3. Chapter 3: An Angel Reborn

He was still conscious. Going slightly insane and feeling ready to hurt someone, but that's to be expected. _How long since I fought you, "creator"? I've lost track of the years. 5? 6? No more than 2?_ He'd been aware of his prison- no more than a fortified closet, really- ever since he was put there. Out of boredom, he tried yet again to move his body. Nothing. _How did you shut me down, "father"? What did you do? Why am I still conscious?_ thud thud thud. _What was that?_ _I could've sworn I heard something…_ He waited a few moments. Silence. _I really am going crazy. It was only a matter of-_ thud thud. The sound of feet running in his direction was unmistakeable now. Feet coming closer and closer, finally stopping before his prison. Voices.

"This the place?" a male voice asked.

"It had better be," a female voice replied. "Cinder will be furious if it isn't. I wonder what could be so important to raid Teknos Inc."

"According to these blueprints, it should be right on the other side of this wall," the male said, a little agitated. "So, where is the door?"

"How would I know, Mercury? Look around a bit."

"I have an easy way to get to get to the other side, actually." THUD!

 _Did he just kick a wall?_

"Good job, genius! You have successfully slain some… stone… work? Why isn't there a mark?"

"It felt like it bent a bit when my foot connected."

"Really? Kick another wall." THUD! The sound of metal on stone was heard as the male, Mercury, kicked the opposite wall. "Look for something that doesn't look normal."

"Like what?"

"Anything. Wait! I've found something! Come over here." click click click. ER-ER. "Darn it!" click click click. DING! "There we go."

Light flooded the room. _Well well well… Who dares to enter my prison?_

A gray-eyed boy with a gray two-toned jacket and black pants walked in, looking like he was prepared for a fight. He could only assume that this was Mercury. "Hey, Emerald, there's a robot in here. Think it could be the 'asset' Cinder wants?" A dark-skinned girl with red eyes and green hair walked in, and stopped next to Mercury. She wore an intricate white top and an olive undershirt. Although she wore high heels, she moved easily in them.

"It could be. Let's see if we can activate it. Look for a terminal."

 _It? You walk into MY domain and call me an IT?!_ He was furious.

"What if it's a guard?" Mercury asked as he looked around the room.

"Doubtful. If it were a guard, it would've activated by now." Emerald's eyes scanned the room and locked onto something behind the robot. "There's the terminal." She walked over to it. click click click. "That should do it. J3 should be active. I assume that this robot is J3, since J3 is the only robot or AI in this terminal's range."

 _Is it true? Can I move?_ He tried to move, and succeeded. _Wonderful! Now, to deal with these two…_ He turned with lightning speed and rushed the girl. Before she could move, he had a metal hand around her throat. He turned towards the man. "Move, and she dies." The girl tapped his shoulder.

"J3, put me down and- ghagh!" He tightened his grip.

"I always hated the name J3. My name is Archangel." He pulled her face closer to his so she would be forced to look him in the eye. "Never forget that. If you leave here alive, that is." The girl was clawing furiously at Archangel's metal hand trying to pry his hand off of her.

"Please, Archangel, put my friend down and let's be civil about this." Mercury, despite his words, started to get in a combat stance. Archangel loosened his grip, then finally dropped the girl. Emerald gasped for air.

"Ok, Mercury, why are you and Emerald here?" Mercury started.

"How do you-"

"Answer the question!"

"Our boss sent us to collect something. We think that something is you. I'll contact her now so you can ask her what she wants." Archangel simply nodded. Mercury pulled out his scroll and contacted Cinder.

* * *

Cinder Fall was waiting. She had checked her scroll 3 times now, waiting for when Emerald and Mercury found Archangel. _They're taking longer than I expected._ Beep-beep. Beep-beep. _Finally._ She pushed one red fingernail against her scroll. "What is it, Mercury?" she asked as if she was bored.

"We have the asset. He wants to speak with you." Cinder's red lips curled up into a wicked smile. _Everything is falling into place._

"Put him on." Mercury handed his scroll over to a boy who had cold, gray eyes and a head of black hair. He was wearing a black leather jacket. Despite her knowledge that the "boy" in front of her was a robot, he was a convincing one as far as looking human goes. Cinder held Archangel's gaze for a long moment. "Hello, Archangel. Enjoy your 3 year 'sleep'?"

"So, it was 3 years since **Talon** shut down my body." Archangel said Talon's name with such hatred that Cinder raised a single eyebrow in surprise.

 _I knew he hated Talon, but I wasn't aware of how COMPLETE his hatred was. This can be useful._ "You would like revenge on Talon, wouldn't you?" Archangel grinned wickedly.

"You have no idea." Cinder shivered, half in excitement and half in awe.

 _I've never seen a hatred like this! He will be easy to manipulate._ "I can help you with that. In fact, we could help each other."

"I'm listening."

 _That was much easier than I thought it would be._ "Well then, let me tell you what I have in mind."

* * *

An hour later, Archangel, Mercury, and Emerald were on their way to Haven. Archangel didn't say anything, which Emerald thought was weird. _He's had no one to talk to for 3 years. If it were me, I'd be chatting up a storm._ "So, Archangel, were you conscious all 3 years? Or were you off and on?" Archangel stared her down.

"I was conscious. It was infuriating. I couldn't move or speak. I could see, but I couldn't see much because there were no windows or lights of any kind in there. I couldn't even change what I was looking at." Emerald felt bad for him.

 _Here is a man- robot? AI?- a sentient being who had it worse than I ever did._ "I'm sorry, Archangel."

"I don't need your sympathy or apologies. I need your assistance killing my 'creator'. If you can't help me, than you can only harm me. If you can only harm me, I will kill you without a second thought." Archangel's voice was emotionless, distant, and cold. Emerald shivered. Mercury adjusted his position on the pew that he and Archangel were sharing so as to get a little more space between himself and Archangel.

"He's worse than Cinder." Emerald stared at Mercury, mouth gaping.

"Mercury! That's not a nice thing to say!" Archangel jolted a bit, then looked at Emerald. Mercury threw his hands up.

"I'm just saying. Cinder doesn't like failure. This guy takes it to a whole new level."

"I don't need you defending me, Emerald. Worry about yourself. Everyone else is simply a means to an end. And Mercury, don't ever insult me again. If you like breathing, that is." Mercury looked at Archangel.

 _Don't do anything stupid, Merc. Please…_

"Was that a threat, Tin Man?" Mercury drew his legs up, ready to strike.

 _Oh no…_

There was no warning. One second, Archangel was sitting down. The next, Archangel had Mercury pinned to the ground with one metal foot on Merc's chest. "Tin Man. That's who I am to you, **Mercury**? Let me explain to you why you're wrong in that classification." He pushed down on Mercury's chest. "You see, **Kicky** , tin would simply fold and buckle under the pressure I'm applying onto your chest. I am a combination of steel and Dust. The Dust amplifies my strength and speed." He pushed harder, causing Mercury to start gasping for air. Emerald heard bones crack. Not break, but still impressive. "The steel, when bound as it is with me, makes me almost invincible. So, Kicky," Archangel leaned in and grabbed Mercury's collar, lifting his face up to be only a hair away from his own, "what is my name?" Archangel eased up on how hard he was pressing on Mercury. He gasped.

 _Please, Merc. Don't do anything stupid. Again..._

"Arch- Archangel."

"Never. Forget. That." Archangel threw Mercury hard back onto the ground- hard enough to daze him- and sat down.

 _Cinder, I hope you know what you're doing. I really do._


	4. Chapter 4: Old Friends and New Tensions

Breep! Breep! Breep! He groaned, then grabbed his secondary scroll, the one he only uses when he's not in his armor. He checked the time. _Who would call me at 2 A.M.?_ Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked in his hand mirror. Eyes that were the color of black holes stared back at him. In the whites of his eyes, there were black veins that gave him the look of dead eyes. The hologram of his eyes should activate any time now. A few seconds later, his eyes changed into the sight everyone else saw. One green, and one blue. He sighed, then answered his scroll. "Hello? Talon Teknos speaking." He almost didn't recognize the man on the other end. Almost.

"Hey! Kiddo! How've you been?" the orange-haired, green-eyed man on the other end asked. Even at this hour, he was wearing a white suit and a bowler hat with a feather in it. He was smoking a cigar. Talon started.

"Roman? How did you get this number?" This was definitely something Talon didn't expect. "More importantly, why are you calling me at this hour?" Roman looked hurt.

"You hurt me, kiddo! Not even a hello?" Talon smiled in spite of himself.

"Fine. Even though we aren't related, hello Uncle Roman. Can you answer my questions now?" Roman looked off to the side.

"I'll answer your first question, then someone wants to say hi. Do you really believe that I, Roman Torchwick, the biggest criminal in Vale, wouldn't be able to get a hold of your number? I'll answer the second question in a bit. For now…" He handed his scroll to someone Talon couldn't see. When he did see her, his jaw dropped. Looking back at him was a girl with hair that was half-brown and half-pink with white streaks along the pink half. One of her eyes were brown, with the other being pale-pink. Her white jacket was open, exposing the pink interior of the jacket and brown corset that she was wearing. The girl waved at him, and broke into a huge smile.

"Neo!? Is that you?" The girl, in answer, grabbed a spoon and downed some Neopolitan ice-cream. She leaned the scroll against something- he could only assume that it was a carton of ice-cream- and put her hands in a heart shape. A second later, she pointed at him and mimed a teardrop going down her face. Talon laughed softly. "I miss you, too." Neo smiled, and pretended to hug him. Talon returned the gesture.

"Alright, Neo. I need to talk to him." Neo looked up and pouted at Torchwick. She looked back at Talon and made the heart gesture again, then waved goodbye. Torchwick picked up his scroll. "So, kiddo, you wanted to know why I called you, right? Well, I called to give you a warning. I have it on very good authority that Teknos Inc. was robbed yesterday." Talon felt a shiver run up his spine.

 _Oh no…_ "What happened? What did they take?" Roman raised his hands to silence Talon.

"One thing. Neo, why don't you come here and tell him." Roman motioned Neo over. Two seconds later, she was standing next to Torchwick. After Torchwick lowered his scroll to include Neo, she held up one finger and mouthed "word".

"One word?" She nodded, then held up 2 fingers. "Two letters?" She nodded again, then made a J with her arms. "J…" Talon groaned. "Please tell me it wasn't J3…" Neo simply nodded, then made the heart shape again. She mimed crying and looked apologetic. "It's ok, Neo. And thanks for telling me." The scroll went back up to only show Torchwick.

"Well, kiddo, that was everything I needed to say. Sleep tight." He smiled and waved goodbye. Talon threw his scroll back on his desk and turned off his eye holograms. He groaned.

 _Great. Just great. Archangel's loose. Wait… How did someone know where to find him? How did Roman know Archangel was still around? Only I knew about that room… Where did Roman get his info? I'll need to call him later, once I actually wake up._ He looked over at his scroll. _Roman, please tell me YOU aren't involved._

* * *

Roman set his scroll down calmly, then looked over at Neo. She was actually crying. "I know, Neo. I hated doing that as much as you did. Damn Cinder. What does she hope to gain by taking Archangel?" Roman, actually angry at Cinder for making him track down his only good friend and then worry him by telling him that Archangel was loose, ripped his cigar out of his mouth and stomped on it seven times. "DAMN HER!" He moved his foot off of his cigar and walked off. He heard swift stomping, and turned to see Neo stabbing her heel into Roman's cigar over and over. "Move." Neo backed off, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were white. Roman lifted his cane at the cigar, and blew it to smithereens. _Unless Cinder comes here, I'm never smoking any of the cigars she gave me as a present. Talon was always like family to me. If she ever makes me harm him like that again…_ He turned to walk away, then noticed the cigar case that Cinder gave him. He picked it up and threw it to Neo. "Give that to the first person you see. And wipe those tears away. I know Talon is like a younger brother to you, but don't show any weakness to our men." Roman wiped a single tear away from his own face, and turned to find his old cigars. Neo wiped her face, then changed her eye color back to when she had seen Talon. _Cinder, I hope you don't come to Vale anytime soon. I'm gonna need some time to cool off. In the meantime…_ "Neo, when you give that case away, call my boys here. We are going to pull off a heist. I need to do something to get rid of-" he turned to see Cinder standing next to Neo. "Hey! Cinder! I- uh- I didn't hear you come in…" Cinder gave him a smoldering look.

"Roman? These aren't the cigars I gave you, are they?" She didn't wait for an answer and held her hand out to Neo. Neo gave her the case and ran out, actually shaking. "What's wrong with our usual little bundle of joy?" She sounded like she was mocking Roman. Roman wasn't amused.

"Sorry, Cinder," Roman said, straining to keep his voice civil, "but we're not in the best of moods right now." _Oh, how I want to kill you right now…_ "So, where're the kids? And your new 'asset'?" Cinder looked at him with no real expression on her face.

"You mean Archangel? He, as well as Mercury and Emerald, are on their way back to Haven. I'll call for them later. And, you were right, you ARE going to pull off a heist. We are robbing a Dust shop here in Vale called Dust to Dawn." Roman raised a questioning eyebrow.

"We?" Cinder smiled.

"Of course. You wouldn't want to bring Neo along in her current state, would you? We move tomorrow night. Be ready. Oh, here are your cigars back. Enjoy them." She handed him the case- it was all he could do to not throw them at her- and started to walk away.

 _I have to know._ "Cinder, can you tell me something?" She stopped, and motioned him to speak. "Why did you steal Archangel?" Cinder responded without turning.

"As I've said many times before, you'll know what you need when you need to know." She started to walk away. Roman was glad she couldn't see him. He was gripping his cane so tight that he could feel his circulation in his fingers stopping.

 _Damn you, Cinder. I hope that Archangel is worth what you just made me put Talon through…_ Before he could stop himself, he shouted at Cinder. "That answer isn't enough this time! Archangel hates Talon and, through extension, anything that breathes! Why did you steal him!" Cinder stopped dead. Her voice came back hot enough to melt a glacier.

"If you EVER yell at me like that again, you will regret it!" Roman glared at the back of her head. She took a deep breath. She said, a bit calmer this time, "Roman, you are a valuable asset to me. Just like Mercury. Just like Emerald. Just like Archangel. Just like Neo. You will know what you need when you need to know. Please, for your sake, accept that answer. If not, then I will MAKE you accept it." She turned, and either didn't notice or chose to ignore his glare. "I will tell you when you need to know. Not before." She motioned him to come to her. Roman, feeling that not doing so would be a really bad idea, obeyed. She put her hand on his cheek. The usual heat of her power wasn't there this time. She patted his cheek, then walked out. Roman turned and noticed he still had his- Cinder's- cigar case in his hand.

 _I won't give it away, but you can bet I won't be smoking these unless I know she's coming that hour._ Roman threw the case on his table, grabbed his old cigars- not as good as the one's Cinder gave him- and lit one. _Damn. You. Cinder._


	5. Chapter 5: Hero to a Prodigy

He heard knocking on his door. "One second." He checked his eyes. _Good. My holograms kicked in this time._ More knocking. "I'm not decent." He actually was presentable, but he didn't like many people knowing that he wears a nano-suit at all times to keep up his eye illusion. He heard Michael's voice on the other side.

"Dude. It's just me." Talon sighed, then walked into the living room.

"Alright. Come in. But if Glynda's with you, I will beat you." He heard Michael laugh. He also thought he heard a deep voice laughing quietly. He wasn't sure, though. The door opened, and Michael walked in. A few seconds later, a man in his mid-fifties walked in. Talon could've sworn that he knew this man from somewhere, but he couldn't place where. The man was large, and had gray hair and a thick gray mustache. He wore a double-breasted burgundy suit and what appeared to be olive colored cavalry boots. "Michael, I thought it was just you," Talon said flatly, still trying to place the man.

"My apologies, Mr. Teknos," the man said. "I am Peter Port, and I teach Grimm Studies." Talon's eyes widened the tiniest fraction.

 _Peter Port! That's why I know him!_

"There is another man coming today to be interviewed, and Ozpin asked me to retrieve Mr. Frost to be the man's guide. I asked him to show me to your room because I wanted to meet you." Talon looked back at Michael.

"I was coming here anyway," Michael offered. Talon sighed, then reached his fist out towards Michael. Michael's fist met his, and the 2 boys smiled. "See you later, man."

After Michael left, Talon looked at Professor Port. "You said you're name is Peter Port?" Port nodded. "The same Peter Port who captured a Beowulf alive and brought it back to his village?" Port smiled.

"I see my reputation precedes me. Yes, that was me. A fine tale, if you're interested later." Talon smiled.

 _I can't believe that I'm meeting THE Peter Port! I'm actually in the presence of Peter Port!_ "Believe me, Professor, I know the story." Port looked surprised.

"I'm surprised that they heard about that in Atlas." Talon sat on his couch, then motioned Port to sit. Port smiled and sat in a chair next to the couch. "How did you find out about it?"

"I read it in a book. I like reading action stories, and so I ran across many legends about different Huntsmen and Huntresses. One of the legends I found was about you." Port looked baffled.

"They put that in a book?!" Talon nodded.

"You were one of my heroes growing up. What set your story apart from a lot of the stories I read was that yours actually happened." Port looked at him.

"I was one of your heroes?" Talon nodded. "That means a lot to me, Mr. Teknos. You know, you are one of my heroes. I heard about your fight with the 10 Ursai. I hear you took them down without taking more than a scratch." Talon grimaced.

"That's not entirely true. I killed 7 without getting hit, but the 8th one got me pretty good on my side." He indicated his right side. "Also, I only killed 8 of them. My assistant killed the last 2. If my assistant hadn't showed up when she had, I might have passed out before I made it back to the nearest town."

"Skilled AND humble. You are a true Huntsman." Port patted Talon's back. "I'm sure we both have more stories to tell than the one we each know. I have an idea, Mr. Teknos, why don't we regale each other with our three best stories. Why don't you go first?" Talon leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.

 _I could tell him that one… No. I've had more daring escapes. Maybe that one? No. Only interesting to me. Ooh! I know one._ "Ok. I've got one. I was hired by the Atlas Military to capture an extremely dangerous criminal. The name escapes me right now, but he was dangerous." Port leaned forward a bit, listening. "It took me about 3 months to find him…"

* * *

"... and that's when I cleaved it in twain with my heavy axe!" Port slammed his hands down hard as though he were wielding his weapon. "And with that, the Nevermore was slain and the village was saved." Talon laughed. It had been 6 hours. They had taken a break after Talon's second story for food, then got right back into it. Port sat back down, and looked at Talon. "The moral of the story is don't ever underestimate a Huntsman who is defending something he loves." Talon agreed. Port looked at his new friend. _He's only 18, and he's seen more action than many soldiers I could name. I thought he was impressive when I only knew one story, but these stories only make him seem more impressive. He is skilled and wise beyond his years._ "I enjoyed this, Talon. I hope we get to speak more another time." Talon nodded.

"Of course, Peter. I'd be glad to." Port stood and stretched. Talon stood up and offered him his hand. Port shook it firmly.

"I look forward to your assistance as I teach. It's a shame you won't be teaching with me for long." Talon nodded.

"I agree. Anytime you feel like dropping by, my door is open." They smiled. "Now, I need to get clothes for teaching in." He looked down at his suit. "I can't exactly teach in this now can I?" Port laughed.

"I don't know. The females might like that." They shared a laugh. "All jokes aside, I think you should get a tux." Talon laughed again.

"Maybe. I don't know. Tuxedos are too formal." Port laughed.

"I think you'd look good in a tux. You should try it. Have a wonderful day, Talon." Talon led Port to the door. Port smiled as he left. _He's a good man. Strong, intelligent, skilled, and humble._

* * *

 _Sorry for the short chapter, guys. I was afraid of it being too long. I hope you guys enjoyed this. I need help with Chapter 6, as I put in the Update I posted earlier today, so if you guys want me to focus the next chapter on a specific character (one that has already been mentioned in the fanfiction), let me know._

 _Hope you enjoyed- VaanRat_


	6. Chapter 6, part 1

_Hello, everyone. I had to split Chapter 6 into two parts because of how long it is. I'll be posting the second half probably either later today or tomorrow. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. If you guys have any suggestions as to new characters for this (because I need help deciding who will be on Rie's team and I also want to work in Roman having two more people that he was training), then please message me with the info on the character (name, backstory, Semblance, etc.). Thank you._

 **A Dance in Dust to Dawn**

He was not in a good mood. He was pacing, stopping every now and then to make sure his shoes were still 100% clean. _Cinder may be my boss, but she's playing with fire lately. What could possess her to free Archangel? And using me to relay the information to Talon… Is she trying to make me mad!?_ Subconsciously, he started stomping. He took out his cigar- one of Cinder's, since she could come here at any time- and stared at it. _I hope that Talon never finds out that I work with you. I also hope Archangel never figures out that he will be working with a friend of Talon's. Cinder, what about this seemed like a good idea?_ He turned to continue pacing, and saw Cinder looking at him. He forced a smile. "Hello, Cinder. To what do I owe this pleasure?" She smiled without emotion.

"Just wanted to make sure you were feeling alright, Roman. Last night, I could have sworn you wanted to kill me." It was all Roman could do to avoid glaring at her. _She DOES want me mad at her. Why?_ "Well, Roman? Are you ok?" she asked without any concern whatsoever. _She could at least try to SEEM to care. Roman took a deep breath and smiled._

"I'm fine. I was just tired and the thing with Archangel was a bit much. I haven't slept well lately." A lie. He'd actually slept quite soundly for a while- except last night, of course. "I just wasn't thinking straight." Cinder smiled.

"I see. And why haven't you been sleeping well?" Roman's smile faltered for a half-second. She lifted an eyebrow. She knew- or at least suspected- that he had just lied to her.

"I've just been so busy lately." Her eyebrow rose a bit more. _She's enjoying this, isn't she…_

"Really? I haven't heard much happening in Vale lately…" Roman's smile tightened. _Stay cool, Roman. She's trying to get under your skin…_

"I was training new recruits." Not a lie, exactly. He was training some new members to his team- a whopping two people. Not enough to make him lose sleep, but just enough truth to possibly throw her off.

"I see… Well, I hope you slept well tonight because I'll need you at peak efficiency. We make our move at 8. That gives you an hour to prepare." She turned to walk away. Roman's scroll started beeping. When Cinder left, Roman let out a deep sigh and took out his scroll. It was Talon.

"Hey, kiddo! What can I do for you?" Talon smiled. Roman noticed that Talon was wearing a dark jacket over a white, button up shirt. _Is that a tux? I never thought I'd see the day…_

"I was just wanting to ask you a few questions. About what we discussed last night." Roman's smile froze. _Does he suspect me? No. He trusts me as far as the heir to the biggest company in the world can trust a criminal and then some._ Talon took a deep breath. "How did you know about that before I did. I was called three hours ago to be told. I haven't had a chance to call you until now."

"Listen, Talon, now's not a good time. I'm a bit… busy at the moment." Talon looked at him, puzzled. Then he got the message.

"I see. Roman, you know I'm probably gonna have to turn you in one day unless you and Neo stop, right?" Roman feigned an expression of being hurt.

"You'd do that to me? Your Uncle Roman? After all I did for you when you first came to Vale…" Roman fake pouted, which was more Neo's specialty. He managed to do it without smiling, though. Talon grinned.

"Well, at least give me a call when you get done with your 'business.'" Roman put a finger to his chin and looked thoughtful.

"I'll consider it." He looked at Talon, and they both broke into a wide smile. "I gotta go, kiddo. See you later." Talon waved goodbye as Roman ended the call. _Cinder, if you ever make me hurt him like that again, I'll kill you with my bare hands._

* * *

It was about 7:30 when Rie walked into the local Dust shop. _Dust to Dawn, eh? I like the name._ She smiled at the elderly man behind the counter. He looked at her, and smiled. "I'm just going to look around, if that's alright with you." The man nodded and made an agreeing sound. Rie looked at all the Dust. _It's so pretty…_ She was so wrapped up in looking at the Dust that she didn't notice a small girl sitting on the floor until she nearly tripped over her. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" Rie was so embarrassed. The girl sat back up, and looked up at her with her silver eyes. She was fair-skinned and had black hair with dark red highlights on the ends. She was wearing a long-sleeved, high-collared blouse with red-trimmed sleeves. She had a red-laced black waist cincher and and a red-trimmed black skirt. She was also wearing black stockings and black combat boots. She had a silver brooch pinned to her belt. She pulled back her red hood and took off her headphones to hang them around her neck.

"Sorry! If I had known I was in someone's way, I would've moved. I shouldn't have been in the middle of the aisle like this…" Rie looked around. While she had been admiring Dust, she had somehow found her way into the magazine section of the store. She looked at the girl, who was picking up the magazine she had been reading. It was a weapon magazine.

"I'm sorry. I should've paid attention to where I was going." Rie offered her hand to the girl, who was now standing up. She was 3 inches shorter than Rie. "My name is Rie Himora. What's yours?" The girl shook her hand.

"Ruby. Ruby Rose." the girl replied, smiling. Rie smiled, too.

"I don't know too many people who read weapon magazines for fun," Rie said, indicating the magazine Ruby had been reading. "You must really like weapons."

"Yeah. I do. Weapons are like an extension of who we are. Our weapons are as much a part of us as our eyes or hair. The type of weapon a person uses and how they use it speaks volumes of the person wielding it…" Ruby stopped, then laughed nervously. "Sorry… I sometimes ramble when I talk about weapons…" Rie laughed.

"It's ok. I personally don't know too much about weapons. I'd like to talk to you about it some time." Ruby looked up.

"Really?"

"Of course. Anytime." They shared a smile. "I'll let you get back to that. I'm gonna look at the different types of Dust they have here. Nice to meet you, Ruby."

"You too, Rie." The two girls smiled at each other, then Rie walked off to the other side of the store.

 _To be continued..._


	7. Chapter 6, part 2

Roman knew Cinder well enough to know that when she says "we make our move at 8", she means the heist starts at 8 exactly. Any later, and he's late. So, naturally, he was on the rooftop of a building near the Dust shop with his men about five minutes before he needed to be. He and his men got down from the rooftop and walked into the Dust store. The elderly man behind the counter looked up at him. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a Dust shop open at this hour?" He nodded to his men. "Grab the Dust." He leaned on the counter and thought. _Maybe Talon's right… I should get out of the game._ He picked up a Dust crystal and started to spin it absently with his fingures. _It was fun for a time, but it also attracted the likes of Cinder to me… If I had known that someone like Cinder would recruit me, I would've never started-_

"HI-YAH!" Roman looked up just in time to see one of his men fly through the window, followed a few seconds later by a flash of red. He went to go look, then heard something from the other side of the store. Something that sounded like chimes- crystal chimes. A lot of them all at once. He turned to see a wave of Dust pushing three of his men against the window, then through it. The Dust receded, then he saw a girl with two bandoliers across her chest riding a hoverboard made entirely of Dust fly out of the window. The flash of red he had seen was another girl standing over the unconscious body of his goon. He was dumbfounded. _What in the world is happening today?!_

"Okay…" He looked around at his men. "Get them." They ran outside to fight the two girls. Hoverboard-girl got off of her board, then the board turned into a mass of Dust crystals. The crystals seemed to lash out of their own accord and pelted his men. Red-girl was close behind, jumping back and forth between the men, knocking them out one by one. Roman walked out, took his cigar out of his mouth, and dumped a small amount on the ground. "I must say, that was quite an impressive show of skill from you two." He lifted his cane, and his scope flipped up and out of the way of his shot. "Sadly, all 'good' things must come to an end. Consider this your applause." He fired a shot at the two girls. Two vials of Dust that Hoverboard had in her bandoliers quickly emptied themselves and started to form a barrier between him and the two girls. The shot hit the Dust barrier, and exploded. He started moving towards the rendezvous for the escape, then tripped as something grabbed his leg. He looked down to see a rope of Dust wrapped around his ankle. He tried to shake it off to no avail. He then tried smashing it with his cane. The cane simply clinked off with no effect. _This is bad…_ His eyes followed the whip back to its source- behind the Dust barrier. His eyes widened. The Dust barrier was completely gone. The two girls started walking towards him. _Anytime you want to show up, Cinder! Now would be a good time!_ Dust was flowing from the vials around Hoverboard's torso and belt. Roman reached his cane up to fire another shot. Before he could, a thick whip of Dust ripped the cane out of his hands and threw it behind him to where he couldn't reach it. He turned to follow its flight, and saw a Dust crystal within reach of him. He didn't realize that he had still had it in his hands when he walked out to confront the two girls. He grabbed it and hid it behind his back, throwing his other hand up in surrender. "Let's not be hasty here, ladies. Surely we can come to some kind of deal?" Hoverboard walked over to him.

"Why should we make a deal with you, criminal?" Roman smiled.

"Come closer and I'll tell you." Hoverboard leaned over to listen. _Perfect_. He wasted no time. He moved faster than he thought he could under normal circumstance and the the crystal at her. The crystal stopped nearly as soon as it left his hand. His jaw dropped. The crystal started rotating, and then flew back into the Dust shop. The Dust storm around Hoverboard stopped, and the Dust returned to their vials. _Well, I'm screwed..._

"Nice try, criminal. I knew you had that crystal." Roman's smile faltered. _This girl is something else. Wait a second…_ Roman recalled something Talon had told him about an apprentice. An apprentice who could control Dust. His smile melted as he felt a chill run down his spine. _Oh no…_

"What's wrong, Witty Criminal?" Red said, genuinely enjoying this. "Realize you're outmatched?" Roman grimaced, then heard something. A transport engine. _Finally…_

"Well, Red, Hoverboard, it's been fun." Hoverboard looked at him, smiling.

"You say that as if you were about to leave. If you couldn't tell, you're not going anywhere." Right on cue, an armed transport lowered behind him with it's guns pointed right at the girls.

"Oh, but don't you see, girls? I AM going somewhere." He lifted his hand, then clinched his fist. The transport opened fire. Hoverboard and Red jumped back, and Roman felt the Dust rope let go. Roman quickly got up and sprinted for the transport, grabbing his cane on the way. The transport hovered just far enough off the ground for Roman to get inside. "PUNCH IT!" The transport took off, leaving the Dust shop and the two girls behind. Roman went into the cockpit and sat next to Cinder. She turned to him, a mischievous smile on her lips.

"You let two girls humiliate you like that, Roman?" Roman glared at her.

"Shut up, Cinder. I didn't see you trying to help." Cinder glared back at him.

"What was that, Roman?" Roman slammed his cane on the ground.

"I said shut up! I'm not in the mood for your games right now!" Cinder's lips tightened.

"I see," she said, coldly. Thankfully, she said nothing the rest of the trip back. _Sorry, Talon, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to call you. Not in the mood I'm in…_

* * *

Ruby and Rie found themselves in an interrogation room, and they both knew that that Huntress woman who had shown up after their fight with the criminal was behind the only door in the room. Ruby was still in awe of her new friend. _She's SO COOL! I've GOT to say something!_ "That was awesome! How'd you do all those cool things!?" Rie looked at her.

"It's my Semblance. I have total mastery over Dust. I'm glad you thought it was cool!" Ruby was about to explode with excitement.

"It wasn't just cool! It was, like, MEGA cool! I've never seen anything like that! You were like POP!" She mimicked Rie opening one of her vials. "And then the Dust was like WOOSH!" Ruby flailed her arms about. "And that criminal tried to shoot us and then you stopped the shot with your Dust and, at the same time, sent some Dust to grab that criminal and then you stopped the crystal he threw at your face and-"

"Ahem!" Ruby stopped talking immediately as she heard the Huntress clear her throat to get her attention. "Thank you, Miss Rose. Now, do you two have any idea how dangerous that was? Armed thugs and their ringleader, and you two fought them? They were trained professionals and you two are still in school! If it were up to me I'd send you both home with a slap on the wrist!" She punctuated this statement by slamming her riding crop down hard on the table, making Ruby and Rie jump. Her face softened. "... And a pat on the back. However, it isn't up to me. Someone wants to see you two." She stepped over to the side as the door opened. A man walked in with a plate of cookies in one hand and a coffee mug in the other. Ruby recognized him as Professor Ozpin. He set the plate down on the table in front of him as he took a seat opposite them.

"Hello, Miss Rose." He turned to Rie. "Hello again, Miss Himora." He gestured to the plate. "I thought you two might be hungry." Ruby reached a nervous hand forward, looking at Rie. Rie gestured for Ruby to take the cookies. Ruby looked at Ozpin, hand still outstretched. Ozpin smiled. Ruby grabbed a cookie, and quickly plopped it into her mouth. It was delicious. Heavenly, almost. Ozpin motioned Glynda over. He looked at Rie. "I see now why you were so sure of your Semblance." Glynda pulled out her scroll, and found Rie's little intimidation stunt. She showed it to Ozpin. "Very impressive. Sadly, as I said before, you rely far too heavily on your Semblance." He turned to Ruby, who had eaten all of the cookies by this point. "And you, Miss Rose," he said as he motioned Glynda to find Ruby's fighting, "where did you learn how to do this?" He gestured to the scroll.

"From my uncle Qrow. I go to Signal Academy right now and, in two years, I'll be applying to Beacon." Ozpin and Glynda looked at each other.

"Miss Rose, do you know who I am?" Ruby nodded.

"You're Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon." Ozpin smiled.

"So you want to come to my school?"

"More than anything in the world." Ozpin looked at Glynda, who simply rolled her eyes. Ozpin smiled.

"Well, okay." Ruby was ecstatic. She looked at her new friend, then back at Ozpin with less enthusiasm. _He didn't offer her a place at Beacon…_ "Is something the matter, Miss Rose?"

"I think Rie should go, too. She did most of the work…" Ozpin and Rie laughed. Even Glynda chuckled a bit. "What's so funny?" Ozpin regained his composure quickly.

"Miss Rose, Miss Himora was accepted into Beacon already. In fact, that's why she's in Vale at this moment." Ruby looked at Rie, who nodded. Ruby was so excited that she almost squealed. "Now, I want you two to go home and rest. The transport to Beacon for students leaves at 11 A.M. Don't be late. Goodnight, you two." He and Glynda walked out of the room. Rie and Ruby left a few minutes later after talking about the events of the last hour.

When they were outside, Rie grabbed a vial of Dust from one of her bandoliers and sprayed a large amount of Dust on the ground. A few seconds later, the Dust turned into a board. Rie hopped onto the board and looked at Ruby. "Need a ride?"

"No thanks. We're not that far from where I live, anyway. Goodnight, Rie." Rie shrugged.

"Alright. Night, Ruby. See you tomorrow." Rie flew off on her board. _She's SO cool! I hope I'm on her team._


	8. Chapter 7: The Arrival

He woke up earlier than usual. He grabbed his mirror and checked his eyes. Dead eyes looked back at him. _There has to be a better way for this to work…_ A few seconds later, his eyes changed back to "normal". _Perfect._ He went to his closet to get his clothes for the day. He reached for his red t-shirt, then stopped. He looked over at his red tuxedo. _Maybe I should wear that today. I did buy it, after all…_ He nodded to himself, then put on his tux. _A bit stuffier than my normal clothes, but at least it looks nice._ He grabbed his new red top hat and red cane, then walked outside his room. Surprisingly, Michael walked out at the same time. He was wearing his usual attire of an open white button up and light blue shorts. Talon looked at him. "You're up early." Michael started, then looked at him.

"Is that Talon Teknos? Nah, it can't be. The Talon Teknos I know wouldn't be caught dead in a penguin suit." They smiled at each other. "But seriously, why the tux? Can you fight in that thing?"

"Probably not, but you know me. I'll find a way." Michael shrugged. "It was Port's idea." Michael laughed.

"You let Peter Port convince you to wear a tux? You've lost it, man." They both laughed, then turned to start walking to where the students would be arriving.

"Peter Port is a great man." The two boys jumped, then turned to see a young man standing behind them. He had messy green hair and round glasses. His white shirt's collar was sticking up. His shirt was only partially tucked into his dark-green pants. He wore a slack yellow tie and had one brown and one black shoe. He took a drink from his coffee mug and adjusted his glasses with his free hand. Once he finished, his free hand went behind his back. "Hello, my name is Bartholomew Oobleck, I am a teacher here and am to guide you two to the front of the school." Talon and Michael looked at each other as the man stopped to take a sip of his coffee.

 _This guy talks faster than a runaway train!_ The man put down his mug again and immediately went back to speaking.

"Follow me please." Without another word, he dashed past the two boys and around a corner. They stared at each other, dumbfounded. Michael shrugged and followed after Oobleck. Talon shook himself and adjusted his top hat, which had fallen out of place.

 _So, that was Oobleck… Definitely not what I expected of this school. Well, I guess he's competent if he's a teacher here._ Talon started as he realized what he just thought. _I can't believe I'm trying to decide if Professor Oobleck is supposed to be here… HE should be the one deciding if I'M supposed to be here._ Talon laughed at himself, then checked his scroll. _10 A.M… I still have about an hour until the students arrive. Well, time to explore the school a bit._ He looked at his blueprint for Beacon. _Hmm… Well, the smart thing would be to go to Oobleck and Port's classrooms and get a feel for them. So that's what I'll do._ He quickly memorized the quickest routes to the classes from his room, then put away his scroll as he started off.

* * *

She was so excited to go to Beacon that she had woken up an hour before the transport was scheduled to leave. She hurriedly got dressed, grabbed her bags, and nearly ran to the hotel lobby. She stopped when she almost ran into someone waiting at the bottom of the stairs. It was a fair-skinned golden haired girl with purple eyes. She was wearing a tan jacket with puffy sleeves and black cuffs. The jacket didn't cover her chest entirely, showing a low cut yellow crop top that had some sort of emblem on the left breast. She also wore black mini-shorts and a brown belt with a brown piece of fabric hanging from the back. She wore brown knee-high boots with orange knee socks. One was pushed below her knee. The girl looked at her, eyes wide. Rie flushed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" She lifted a hand apologetically. "Please, excuse me." She hurried past the girl, only to feel a fingerless gloved hand grab her arm and stop her in place.

"You seem to have a habit of nearly running into people. First my sister, now me." Despite the chastising words, the girl smiled at Rie. Rie gulped.

 _What does she mean? I don't think I've run into anyone who looks like this girl… The only person I've almost run into lately was…_ Rie's eyes widened. "You mean Ruby?" The girl smiled, maintaining her death grip on Rie's arm. Rie smiled. "Nice to meet you! I'm Rie Himora." She waited for the girl's response. She smiled back at Rie. She pointed at herself with her free hand as she introduced herself.

"I'm Yang. Yang Xiao Long. And Ruby's my baby sister. She's waiting for us outside." She let go of Rie's arm (which had turned red by now), only to put it around Rie's shoulders as they walked out together. Ruby was throwing pebbles into the street when they walked out. She turned, and broke into a huge smile when she saw them.

"Hey, Rie!" Rie smiled back at the young girl.

"Morning, Ruby. Why are you here instead of heading to Beacon?" Before Ruby could answer, Yang stepped in between the two girls.

"She wanted to say hi, and I wanted to meet you." Yang smiled. Rie looked at Ruby, who looked like she was debating something.

"Uhm… Rie…" Ruby was tapping her two index fingers together.

"Yeah, Ruby?" Ruby took a deep breath, and sped through the next sentence.

"She wants to ride with you to the airport," Yang said for her sister. Ruby started, then glared at Yang.

"Of course you can, Ruby." Rie was trying hard to not laugh at Ruby's awkwardness. Ruby's eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"Really?" Rie nodded, then removed a vial of Ice Dust and a vial of Fire Dust from her bandoliers across her chest. Yang's interest was easy to spot, and it grew as Rie sprinkled all of the dust on the ground. Rie figured she could be more flashy with forming her board than she had been the night before. She returned her now empty vials to their places, then moved her hands as if she were performing a ritual. The Dust began to rise, Ice mixing with Fire. The Dust became a tornado of Fire and Ice. Rie let a small bit of the Fire Dust lick out at Ruby and Yang. Ruby jumped, and Yang smiled. Rie formed a board in the middle of the tornado with a sort of Yin-Yang design in the center. The rest of the tornado was turned into two small dragons, an Ice dragon and a Fire dragon. Ruby gasped loudly. Yang gasped as well, but much less noticeably. The dragons made two circuits around the board before flying towards Rie. The dragons flew back into their respective vials, and Rie put the corks back on her vials. The result of the spectacle was a thin Dust board large enough for three people. Yang clapped.

"That was impressive, Rie." Yang clapped Rie on the back.

"Thanks, Yang. I aim to please." Rie did a small bow. "So, are we ready to go?" Ruby nodded.

"Well, take care of my sister for me." Rie looked at Yang.

"Are you not coming?" Yang shook her head, then smiled.

"I'll take the Bumblebee." She gestured behind her to a yellow bike. Rie nodded. The Dust board started to dissolve from the edges until it was large enough for just two people. Rie uncorked her two vials again as the Dust streamed back into their respective places. Ruby and Rie jumped onto the board as Yang mounted her bike. Yang waved goodbye, then drove off. Rie lifted the Dust board over the rooftops of the city's buildings, and made a direct course for the airport. Rie looked back at Ruby, who was holding onto Rie's back for dear life.

 _She doesn't know that I can shift the Dust so that she won't fall off… Poor girl. She's terrified…_ "You ok, Ruby?" She felt the girl nod, maintaining her vice grip on Rie's back. _What would Talon do in this situation?_ Rie thought about it for a few seconds. _He'd probably strike up a conversation with Ruby to take her mind off of her fears. Well, here goes…_ "So, does your sister EVER wear clothes?" _Really, Rie? THAT'S your conversation starter?_ To her surprise, Ruby laughed.

"Sometimes. She wears what she wants, when she wants. Our dad has tried to get her to cover up, but he stopped trying about 2 years ago." Rie cocked her head, puzzled.

"Why did he stop trying? Yang's his daughter, right?" She felt Ruby nod.

"Yeah, but apparently 'she has too much of her mother in her. They're both too stubborn.' That's what Dad told me, anyway." Rie cocked her head again as she remembered something Michael had told her a few months back- something about a girl at a bar here in Vale that he'd visited.

 _It was CRAZY, Rie. I was in Junior's Bar just minding my own, when all of a sudden this blonde walks in as though she owns the place. She walks straight up to Junior and starts talking to him. I heard the word "blondie" a few times, then she grabbed him where the sun don't shine and yelled something to do with "Sir!" Junior's men started trying to fight her and failed because this girl had these really cool shotgun gauntlets, then the Malachite twins got involved, and then Junior tried to fight her himself. When he failed, I stepped in. I was feeling nice, so I didn't use all of my abilities, but it was a close fight. I knocked her out of a window, then sat back down to finish my drink. I didn't see her again._

"Does Yang fight using shotgun gauntlets?" She felt Ruby nod again.

"Yeah. Her Ember Celicas. Why?" Rie smiled.

"Oh, no reason. Just curious. Hey! There's the airport!" Rie felt Ruby lift her head up, then a gasp. "You ok back there?" Rie was concerned that Ruby was slipping, but the girl quickly allayed her fears.

"The view is GORGEOUS!" Rie sighed a little bit, then laughed.

"It really is, isn't it? Whenever Talon didn't need me around the lab, I would fly around Atlas at night. It was amazing." Rie landed in front of the entryway to the airport, and she and Ruby hopped off. "Flashy or efficient?" Ruby cocked her head, confused. Rie smiled. "Should I put the board away in a flashy manner? Or an efficient manner?" Ruby grinned.

"Flashy." Rie nodded, then snapped her fingers. The board behind her lost its solidity, then swirled into the air. Rie uncorked her vials without removing them, then set the corks down beside her feet. The Dust rose and formed a crystal with flames of both Ice and Fire appearing to resonate from it. Ruby looked like her jaw would fall clean off. The crystal dissolved from top to bottom, then the Dust whipped around the two girls twice before returning to their vials. Rie corked the now full vials and bowed. Ruby began clapping. "That. Was. AWESOME!" Rie laughed, then noticed someone standing in the doorway to the airport. Someone with a sailor's hat and a sawed-off shotgun attached to his hip. Rie smiled.

"I've got to go say hi to someone. See you at Beacon, Ruby." She didn't wait for a reply and ran to the boy. "Hey Sam!" Sam turned around, and Rie struggled to keep her face under control. He didn't have a single barnacle on him. _Wow! He's even more handsome than before!_

"Hello, lass." He tipped his hat. "Good to see ya again. How've ya been?" Rie's smile widened.

" _Keep your cool, Rie."_ She could hear Talon's voice clearly as though it was her own. " _Remember, control. Don't ever lose control. Lose control, and you become a slave to your emotions."_ She thought back to his voice as if she were talking to him. _I'm trying, Talon. I really am._ She took a deep breath. _Ok. What would Talon say or do in this situation? He'd probably ask him how his day was or something like that. Ok, you got this, Rie. You've got this._ "So, what happened to the barnacles?" Rie grimaced. _Oh yes, THAT'S what you should ask. Good job, weirdo..._ Sam looked at her, a smirk on his face.

"I hadn't had a chance to get rid of them." He laughed, then opened the door to the airport. "After you, lass." Rie nodded her head in thanks and walked in. Sam followed behind. The two talked about minor things until the transport arrived. Once aboard the transport, the two talked about things like the family and friends wishing them luck from their homes.

Rie noticed that a news story about Torchwick was playing and held her hand up to silence Sam. The newscast was showing a mugshot of Torchwick. "The robbery last night of Dust to Dawn, led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, was stopped by two girls according to an eyewitness. This is what he had to say on the matter:" The screen changed to show a man with a face edited to be blurry past recognition.

"It was crazy! I looked out of my window and saw what appeared to be a storm of Dust surrounding a girl. Then I saw-" The newscast ended abruptly and was replaced with an image of Glynda.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." Rie looked out the window and saw Beacon. She smiled.

 _Even though I've seen Beacon before, it's still awe-inspiring._ She looked over at Sam. "Well, this is it, Sam." He looked back at her.

"Aye, lass. No turnin' back now. Let's be the best Hunters we can, aye?" Rie nodded.

"Aye."

 _Hey guys. I'm so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I've been busy. Two weeks ago, my parents came down to visit from Alabama, so I spent time with them. Then last week I was super busy doing stuff around the house and looking for a job. I'm trying to get these out quickly for you guys, but it isn't working out like that. Thank you for your patience._


	9. Chapter 8: Part 1

**_Fire, Lightning, and I Think Some Ice..._**

Rie and Sam were the first ones off of the transport. Rie looked at Sam. "You go on ahead. I want to look around." Sam nodded.

"I understand. See ya around, lass." Rie walked to the square on the left and admired the fountain there. She looked over, and saw a blonde boy in a black short-sleeved hoodie sitting on a bench nearby. He was hunched over with his hands on his stomach beneath his diamond shaped breastplate.

 _Poor guy… The transport must have been too much for him. Well, let me see if I can help him._ Rie walked up to the boy. "Hi!" The boy's blue eyes glanced up at her. He forced a smile.

"Hi…" He groaned.

"You alright?" The boy nodded.

"I'll be fine. I just…" He lurched a little. Instinctively, Rie jumped back. The boy leaned back and blew out of his mouth, making his cheeks puff out. His voice came out stronger. "I just need to sit a while." Rie cocked her head.

 _He already seems to be better._ "Mind if I sit with you?" The boy shrugged.

"Eh, why not? I would like to talk to someone. It'll help me get my mind off of the ride here." He looked at her as she sat down. "So, what's your name?"

"Rie Himora. And you?" The boy held out one gloved hand to her. The glove exposed his fingers and had a small metal plate on the back.

"Jaune Arc." She shook his hand. He smiled an easy smile. "Pleased to meet you."

"Likewise. So, why were you sick?" He sighed.

"Motion sickness."

"Ah. I see. Well, you seem to have recovered quickly." She smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah. My mom always said I recover from sickness quickly. When I got sick, that is." Rie cocked her head a little.

"Did you-" Her question was cut short by the sound of an explosion. Rie and Jaune both looked over to see a cloud of Dust floating away. Rie got up and ran over to the area. When she got there, she saw a very familiar angry girl yelling at a very timid-looking Ruby. The girl was wearing a thigh-length dress that fades from white to pale blue at the hem and a bolero over it in the same color. Her long white hair was pulled back into a ponytail on the right side of her head. _Oh boy… Weiss's at it again…_

"Should we do something?" Rie looked back at Jaune, then pointed at Weiss.

"That girl would probably bite your head off if you tried. You wait here, and I'll see if I can help." She started to head over to try to diffuse the situation when she heard Ruby shout at the girl.

"Hey, I said I was sorry, Princess!" Rie flinched, then noticed a black-haired girl wearing a black bow walking up holding a vial of fire dust. The girl was wearing a black buttoned vest with coattails and a single silver button on the front. This was worn over a white, sleeveless, high necked, crop undershirt and white shorts with a zipper on the front of each leg.

"It's heiress, actually." Both Ruby and Weiss looked at the newcomer. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world." Weiss stood up straight in pride.

"Finally! Some recognition!" The newcomer's amber eyes stared at Weiss. She kept staring as she said the next sentence.

"The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners." Weiss stiffened. Rie had to try hard to avoid laughing. Ruby wasn't as successful as Rie in that regard.

 _I wish Talon were here to see this. He'd probably enjoy this as much as I am. I gotta tell Talon about this girl._

"Wha- How dare you- The nerve of- Ugh!" Weiss grabbed the vial from the newcomer and stormed off. She was so angry that she didn't even notice Rie as she walked by. Rie ran to catch up to Weiss.

"Hey, Ice Queen." Weiss spun on her heels to stare Rie down.

"What do you wa-" Weiss stopped when she realized who it was. "Oh. It's you," she stated in a rather flat tone. "I've told you not to call me that."

"Oh, lighten up. So, what was that all about?" She gestured behind her as the two girls started walking.

"Hmph! That DOLT nearly killed herself AND me! And this was AFTER she knocked over all of my Dust!" Rie cocked her head.

"Is that what that explosion was?" Weiss nodded. "Would you like me to check your Dust and make sure it's still in good condition?" Weiss looked at her.

"Please do." Rie knew that tone. This wasn't a request. This was a demand.

` _Still the same spoiled Ice Queen… Well, no time to dwell on that now._ Rie closed her eyes. She didn't need to close her eyes for this, but it helped her visualize the Dust. She breathed deeply, then let her Semblance fully activate. _Alright. Let's see here._ This was one of the joys of her Semblance. The feeling of Dust washing over her like waves on a beach. She always knew where any Dust was, as long as it was nearby; but it wasn't quite the same feeling. She could feel each speck of Dust as though she were touching it. It felt smooth as silk and rough as sand at the same time. It felt good. A small smile touched her lips. She felt each case of Dust individually. She didn't need to, of course, but Weiss didn't know that. No one knew that it took her this long to search for damaged Dust because she CHOSE for it to take this long. Not even Talon. She felt the second case's contents, then the next. _Well, all of the cases are in order. That just leaves the Dust in Weiss's hand._ Rie reached out to the vial Weiss was holding. It felt like sand and silk, like the other vials, but the sand was a little rougher and the silk was torn a little bit. Overall, still pleasant; even with it's imperfections. Rie opened her eyes and let her Semblance go back to normal. "Well, it's all still good. The only Dust that's damaged is the vial you're holding. What happened to that one?"

"It was launched out of my hand when that girl exploded!" Rie stared at Weiss in disbelief.

"SHE exploded!?" Weiss nodded.

"She could've knocked us off the side of the cliff." Weiss looked around. "Hey, where's Talon?"

"He's around… somewhere." Weiss looked at her.

"You don't know? That's a first." Rie laughed.

"He's a teacher now. He's been here for the last few days." Weiss's jaw dropped.

"Really? Wow… I always thought he was skilled. Good for him. And where's the raccoon?" Rie's jaw stiffened a little bit.

"The 'raccoon' has a name, you know. Michael is also a teacher here." Weiss stopped dead.

"That drunkard? How did he become a teacher here and you didn't?" Rie gritted her teeth.

"I don't know and I don't care. I'm proud of him and you should be, too." Weiss threw her hands up.

"I'm just saying, a drunken raccoon shouldn't be a teacher." Rie let out a huff in agitation.

"You haven't changed at all, Ice Queen!" Weiss shrugged her shoulders.

"It isn't MY fault that he's a drunkard."

"He's a person and deserves to be treated as one! I hope you learn that soon!" Rie stormed off towards the school, leaving Weiss behind.

* * *

He looked around as he walked around the outside of Beacon. _It is a beautifully made school, but I should probably be heading to where I'm actually supposed to be. Don't want to get an earful from Glynda._ He rounded a corner and saw two students walking his way. One was a tall, blonde boy and the other was a short, dark-haired girl that Talon thought looked familiar. _She reminds me of a girl I met when I came to Vale for the first time. That probably isn't her. It's been 12 years since that trip, and I was only here for a month. My memories of then aren't the best, being so long ago._ His mind took him back to a room with a blonde girl and himself wrestling while a small girl with a penchant for red clothing sat crying for them to stop. They were mad at each other for some reason, he couldn't fully remember why. He could vaguely recall some words they had taunted each other with…

 _"Back off, Gearhead! That is MINE!"_

 _"No way, Firebrand! I WILL have it!"_ It was about that point that the two girls' father came rushing in.

 _"Kids! Kids! Calm down!"_ The father pulled him and the girl apart. Talon remembered that neither he nor the girl went easily. The father- _Tai, I think was his name_ \- held them both an arm's length apart from himself in opposite directions. _"Alright, Little Dragon, tell me what happened."_

 _"She started it!"_

 _"I'll hear your end later, Talon. Now, what happened, Yang?"_ After that, the memory faded; and he let it. He'd found it wasn't a good idea to pursue a memory that doesn't want to be seen. It just led to headaches.

 _Right. The students._ He started walking towards the two students. He heard the blonde boy talking.

"You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark?" The girl let out a laugh. "Is, uh, is that a no?"

"That's a no." The girl said, still laughing. Talon reached them around this point.

"As far as a food court goes, we have a cafeteria." The two students jumped as they realized he was there. "If you're looking for a directory, then I'm as close as you're getting." The girl stared at him intently. The boy eyed him.

"And you are…?" Talon smiled.

"Talon Teknos. At your service. Now, are you two lost?" The boy spoke up.

"I'm Jaune. This is Ruby. And yes, we're lost." Talon smiled.

"Well, follow me. I'll get you guys to where you need to be." He led the two students to the auditorium, which was not very far from where they were. "Well, here you go. Now, I must go, or Glynda will have my head. Farewell." He waved goodbye to Jaune and Ruby as he walked to the stairs at the side of the stage in the auditorium. He had barely reached them when Glynda came up behind him.

"There you are. I swear, if today is any indication, you and Mr. Frost are going to be very interesting to work with." Talon put on his most disarming smile.

"What could Michael have possibly done that would give away that working with him will be interesting?" Glynda stared him down so intently that his smile nearly faltered.

"I'll leave that particular story for him to tell. Now, get on the stage. We can't start without you." Talon feigned pride.

"Well, of course you can't. I am the greatest Huntsman I know." He put on a sly smile. Glynda rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yes… Interesting indeed. Please take this more seriously, Mr. Teknos. The students will only take your lessons as seriously as you do." She adjusted her glasses with one hand. "Now, go on. Ozpin has to introduce you and Mr. Frost." Talon made his face the perfect picture of control and serenity.

"Yes, ma'am." Glynda nodded as they walked up the steps. Talon noticed Michael on Ozpin's right, still wearing his shirt open. Talon took his place to Ozpin's left.

"Glad you could join us, Professor Teknos." Talon kept his eyes ahead.

"Glad to be here. I apologize for my tardiness. I was escorting two students who were lost." Ozpin nodded.

"Well, let's get this started." Ozpin walked forward, motioning for Talon and Michael to step forward. Ozpin readied the microphone, then set his glasses in place. Talon looked for Rie, but didn't see her. He did, however, see a blonde girl that tugged at his memory. She was standing next to Ruby. Ozpin began his speech. "I'll… keep this brief…"


	10. Chapter 8: Part 2

Ozpin's speech was pretty good, Yang supposed, but she was more interested in the two boys flanking Ozpin. One of them she knew for sure. _There he is. The Man of Ice who beat me in Junior's Bar. I hope I have cause to get a rematch. Now, why does the other one look familiar…_ Ozpin motioned for the two boys to stand next to him.

"Finally, I would like to introduce two new teachers. Please join me in welcoming Professors Michael Frost and Talon Teknos." Yang started.

 _Talon Teknos… I know that name…_ Yang thought back. She thought back to a boy she met 12 years ago. She compared the boy from then to the boy on stage bowing. The last time she had seen that boy came rushing back to her.

" _Firebrand, Rosey, I'll see you again. I promise."_ Ruby had been heartbroken.

" _Gearhead! Don't leave us! We'll miss you too much!"_ Ruby turned to Tai. " _Make him stay, daddy!"_ Tai kneeled to Ruby's height. He wiped away the little girl's tears.

" _I'm sorry, Little Flower, but Talon has to go back home. His father is the CEO of Teknos Inc. and has work to do. I'm sorry, but that's how it is. Now, say goodbye."_ Yang had walked up to the boy and looked him in the eyes.

" _Bye, Gearhead."_ She decked him in the face, which was more to be playful than to be hurtful. Talon had gotten the message, and returned the gesture in kind with a smile. " _I'm gonna miss you."_

" _You too, Firebrand."_ They hugged, then Talon had walked over to Ruby. " _And I'm gonna miss you, too."_ Ruby hugged him hard, nearly tackling him. Talon returned the hug, and then pushed Ruby back. He wiped a tear away from her face. " _Don't worry. Like I said, I'll see you again. I promise."_ He smiled, and the image of him smiling melted into the face of the boy smiling on stage.

 _You kept your promise, Gearhead…_ Ozpin, Michael, and Talon stepped back as Glynda walked in front of the microphone.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Yang looked around and noticed the students moving towards the back of the school. She looked at Ruby. "Well, sis, I guess we should follow the crowd." Ruby looked deep in thought, something Yang wasn't used to. "Something wrong?"

"I'm trying to figure out why I know that teacher…" Yang smiled.

"You mean Gearhead?" Ruby looked at her and cocked her head.

"Gearhead? That sounds like a stupid nickname." Yang laughed.

"So is Rosey."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Yang laughed even harder.

"You really don't remember him? Well, you were really young. It was 12 years ago. Mr. Teknos came to Vale on business and brought his son, Talon, with him." The two sisters started walking while Yang explained. "While Mr. Teknos was here, he brought Talon to play with us every other day while he talked to Dad or Uncle Qrow. Talon and I would wrestle while you watched. When we finished wrestling, he'd have as much energy as when we started. I still don't know how he managed to wrestle for so long without getting tired, but he did. Then you'd shout that it was your turn to play, and I'd watch as you and he would pretend to be Hunters or play Hide-and-Seek. Then, when you tired of play, you'd ask him to read a story. You'd make me listen as well, as I remember it." Ruby looked at her, dumbfounded.

"He sounds like a great guy." Yang nodded.

"Yeah. That's our Gearhead for you. You were so heartbroken when he had to return to Atlas." Ruby frowned.

"Weird. I remember him a little bit now, but I still don't REALLY remember him." Yang patted Ruby on the head.

"Don't worry about it. You were young and it's been a really long time. I only put 2 and 2 together when Ozpin said his name." Ruby still looked down about the situation. She hugged one arm around her sister and squeezed her. "Come on. Cheer up! I'm sure Gearhead won't mind that you can't remember him all that well." She released her sister and continued walking to the ballroom. _I know Ruby will remember him. I remember that she had a crush on him, and that's hard to forget._ The only reason she remembered that is because she also had a bit of a crush on him, and was a little jealous of Ruby back then. She didn't know why. Talon always treated the two girls equally, even though Ruby was 3 years younger than him while Yang was only a year younger. Maybe that was why. Maybe Yang wanted him all to herself back then? Yang snapped back into the present. _No point dwelling on that now. My feelings have changed since then. I mean, it's been 12 years. He probably doesn't remember me anyway._

* * *

"So, what did you do that has Glynda all in a huff, Michael?" Michael shrugged.

"I was drinking my whiskey in front of her." Talon gave Michael a flat look.

"You know I don't believe that's the reason, right?" Michael laughed.

"It was worth a try. I was 'antagonizing' Weiss." Talon facepalmed.

"Michael, what did you say to 'antagonize' her?" Michael smiled.

"Well, first I called her Ice Queen and then I called her out on her hatred of the Faunus." Talon gave Michael a withering stare.

"Is that all?" Michael nodded. Talon sighed. "Well, I don't see why Glynda would get upset over that; so I don't fully believe you." He didn't believe him because Michael did this all the time. It was just who he was. Besides, Weiss needed to be put in her place from time to time. She may be the Ice Queen, but she had a temper that could melt glaciers. "Well, you'll tell me eventually, if I know you. So I'll drop it for now." He and Michael opened the door to a room with a round table in the middle. Around the table stood Ozpin, Glynda, Peter, and Bartholemew. They all looked up at the two boys as they walked in. "Ok, Professor Port and Professor Oobleck I can understand beating us here. How did you two beat us here?" He pointed at Glynda and Ozpin. Ozpin smiled.

"You are surprised that the headmaster and his representative know how to reach any part of their school quickly?" Talon lifted a finger, then stopped himself from speaking.

 _I'm not surprised that you can get to places quickly. I'm surprised you can do so quicker than I can. I studied the blueprints for days to learn the school and how to move as efficiently as possible. Unless… Unless there are passages not on the blueprints… That must be it._ Michael stepped up.

"So, what are you all doing?" He reached towards his back pocket. Talon rolled his eyes as Michael pulled out a flask. Glynda glared at him.

"We were trying to think of how best to reprimand your actions earlier today." Talon grinned. Glynda shifted her glare to him. "And we were trying to think of how best to punish your tardiness today. We sent Professor Oobleck to escort you two and YOU were still late. Not Professor Frost, you." Talon's grin faded.

"And what did you come up with?" Talon asked. Peter spoke up.

"You two will be accompanying me in watching the students tonight." Michael and Talon looked at each other. Michael put his flask away and wiped his mouth. Talon looked at the other teachers.

"Is that all?" Glynda raised an eyebrow.

"You are aware that you will have to settle any disputes among the students, correct? And you are aware that you will have to stay awake all night, correct?" Michael and Talon nodded. Michael spoke up.

"And you're point is…?" Glynda's eyebrow rose even higher.

"My point is that this isn't an easy task. It is supposed to teach you two discipline." Michael laughed and reached for his flask again.

"Glynda," Glynda's eyes widened and her hand tightened on her riding crop. "I can call you Glynda, right?" Michael uncorked his flask and started to move it towards his mouth. Glynda's hand flicked up and the flask was ripped from Michael's hand. Michael's eyes narrowed. Whiskey spilled over the side of the flask as Glynda drew it into her hand. Talon noticed that neither Ozpin, Port, nor Oobleck were making a move to stop the events transpiring in front of them.

 _Nor should they. This is between Michael and Ms. Goodwitch._ Michael nearly growled his next sentence.

"Glynda, give me my-" He was cut short as an invisible blast sent him scrambling backwards, nearly colliding with the door. Talon figured that now was a good time to step in, before the violence escalated.

"Ms. Goodwitch, I apologize for Michael's behavior. Might you give him back his flask before someone gets hurt?" Glynda's eyes met his. She sighed, then walked over to Michael who was still on the ground. She leaned over him.

"Here you are, Professor Frost." Michael grabbed his flask from her outstretched hand. She walked to retake her place at the table. She called back to Michael from over her shoulder. "Oh, and you WILL call me Ms. Goodwitch." Michael stood up.

"Yes ma'am," Michael muttered as Talon looked towards him.

"Well, Professor Port, Professor Frost, shall we go?" Port nodded and made for the door. Talon and Michael joined him, and Talon closed the door behind himself as he left.

"You have some nerve, Professor Frost. Not even Professor Oobleck or myself have the guts to stand up to Ms. Goodwitch like that." Michael shrugged and took a swig from his flask. Talon looked at Port.

"So, what did you do to be stuck with us?" Port laughed.

"I didn't do anything. I was already on the graveyard shift." Talon looked at him flatly.

"Oh really? Then why you and not the other person with the shift?" Port looked at him.

"Would YOU want to be stuck with Ms. Goodwitch after what just happened? She was already in a bad mood before that, too." Michael and Talon looked at each other.

"No, I suppose I wouldn't.." Talon looked over at Michael. "Peter, we'll meet you in the ballroom. I would like a word with Michael." Port nodded.

"Yes, well, don't take too long. Wouldn't want you being late to your punishment for being late now, would we?" He laughed, then waved goodbye. Talon smiled at Port as he walked away. He saw Michael starting to inch away. Talon reached out a hand and caught Michael's arm before he got too far away.

"We really should be-" Talon rounded on Michael.

"What is WRONG with you, Michael?" Talon was not pleased with Michael at all. Michael gulped.

"Glynda started it." Talon smacked him upside the head. Hard.

"No, YOU started it. MS. GOODWITCH was ready to teach you some respect, and I have half a mind to take you back there and let her!" Michael looked to his left and right.

"Talon, I-" Talon held up a finger.

"I wasn't finished!" Michael stopped. "You are in MY charge, as you remember. Your actions reflect back onto ME! This means when you are respectful, I've done my job. When you do what you did in there," Talon jerked his hand towards the room they had just left, "then I have failed. If I fail too often, you get a one-way ticket on the Jail-way Express! If that happens, then not even I can get you out of there." Michael looked at Talon.

"Sorry, (mumble mumble)." Talon, anger now spent, sighed.

"Just... just control yourself." He smiled mischievously. "I know that's hard for you to do, but at least try." Michael looked at him and smiled. He gave a mock salute.

"Yes sir!" Talon rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure mocking me is your best course of action right now?" Michael nodded. Talon sighed again. "Come on. We don't want to keep Professor Port waiting." The two boys started towards the ballroom.


	11. Chapter 9:The Night I Met Her

Luckily for Talon and Michael, the students were changing by the time they arrived in the ballroom. Talon scanned the room and saw Professor Port moving a chair to rest next to two chairs that he had presumably already placed there. "Well, our 'punishment' begins." He and Michael shared a smile. Glynda really could've picked a better punishment for the two boys. Michael had pulled all nighters many times back in Atlas when he was in a bar or when training under Talon's direction. Talon, being a scientist, would sometimes stay up for weeks before sleeping. This was something they were accustomed to. "Go report in to Professor Port. I'll be there in a bit." Michael nodded, then jogged over to the three chairs. Talon walked around the ballroom twice. Once to get a feel for how big the room was, and once more to put cameras in spots that would give him the best view of all of the students. On his second round of the room, he walked past a girl sitting against one of the walls reading. The girl was wearing a black, long sleeved, yukata-style shirt with white edging over a purple undershirt, and a matching skirt. A black obi was wrapped around her waist and tied with a black and white string. The girl had a black bow in her hair. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw the bow twitch the tiniest bit. _I must be imagining things._ He threw his last camera on the arch of a window next to the girl. It made a whirring sound that was barely audible unless he listened closely. Surprisingly, the girl looked up right at the camera. She looked a little irritated as she shifted her gaze to him. _Her eyes…_ The amber eyes that looked back at him looked like gems. Talon didn't- couldn't- break eye contact. _Talon, don't stare._ The girl spoke before he could find words.

"Could you move that camera, please?" Talon felt stupid. He felt like his thoughts were being carried by snails.

 _Come on, Talon. You've stared down 10 Ursai without flinching. You stopped Archangel- almost for good. You've faced an angry Weiss multiple times. Don't tell me you're going to let a girl's pretty eyes defeat you. Say something._ "How can you hear it? My senses are heightened beyond a normal human's senses, and I can barely hear it." He noticed the bow twitch again. _Wait… Is she…_ The girl lowered her book a little bit.

"I guess my senses are a bit better. Now, about that camera…" Talon managed to look at the camera. Now that he wasn't looking her in the eye, his thoughts came sharper and clearer. He recalled one of his lessons to Rie.

" _Remember, Rie, control. Control is key." Boy, I wish I could put that into practice right now… Ok, time for a bit of mental meditation._ Talon pictured a dull, dirty sword floating over a pond. The water rose and enveloped the sword. Lightning erupted from inside the water, and the water fell away. When the lightning ceased, the sword was covered in flame. A wind blew from the east and blew the fire out. The blade was now gleaming white with light from within. The light pulsed as darkness came from all around. The sword seemed to draw in the darkness, and the light and darkness mixed. The sword, once barely a weapon, was now an embodiment of the most powerful weapons of all: balance and control. The entire exercise lasted only a few moments, but it was enough for Talon to rein in his emotions. He looked back at the girl, only this time he was in control of himself. "I'm sorry, Ms…" The girl looked him in the eyes.

"Blake Belladonna."

"Thank you. I'm sorry, Ms. Belladonna, but I cannot move the camera without sufficient reason. Do you have a reason that I should?" Blake narrowed her eyes at him.

"Because it is annoying and breaking my concentration. Could you kindly move it?" Talon made a point to observe her bow from the corner of his eye as he spoke.

"I really am sorry, but that is not a good enough reason." There! He saw what he was looking for. The bow undoubtedly twitched this time. Much like a cat's ears would twitch in agitation. _She's a Faunus... Why is she hiding that?_ Talon thought to ask her, but decided against it. _She probably has her reasons._ The two stared at each other, then Blake sighed. She got up and walked a few feet away. Talon watched her as she sat down, and smiled. _Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?_ Talon nodded to himself, then walked back to Michael and Port. Port looked as though he was trying very hard to fight a smile and avoided his eyes. Michael made no such effort; he was grinning mischievously and appeared to be making sure Talon noticed it. _Oh boy. What now?_ Port spoke up first.

"You handled that situation well, it appears. You got her to move, at least." Talon thought he heard a little bit of mirth in the older man's voice. Why was that? Talon decided to ignore it and looked at Michael.

"And what are you grinning about? If he told a joke, I'd like to hear it." Michael shook his head, laughing a little bit.

"That's not it." Talon eyed his friend suspiciously.

"... Then what is it…?" Michael laughed some more, then put his hands in a form like he was holding a saxophone. _Oh no…_ As Talon suspected, Michael started humming out a romantic song- which sounded a lot like Careless Whisper, if he wasn't mistaken. He nodded over to Blake as he "played" his song. Port couldn't hold it anymore and started laughing. Talon wasn't amused. "Oh, ha ha. Very funny." He said sarcastically. He would've hit Michael again, but he wasn't really mad at him. Oh sure, he was irritated, but not mad. "Can we be serious for a second? We" he pointed at himself and Michael "are being punished, remember? I don't think you making saxophone noises implying that I have a crush on one of the students is what Glynda had in mind." Michael stopped humming the song and laughed.

"I guess you're right, Talon. But you HAVE to tell me what happened over there." Talon remained neutral faced.

"Whatever do you mean, Michael?" Michael gave him a sly smile.

"Don't play that game. I noticed that you couldn't look away from her." Talon did a double take.

 _What!? Was I that apparent? If he noticed, then…_ His eyes shot over to where Blaken was. She wasn't looking at him or anything other than her book. Talon would've breathed a sigh of relief if it wouldn't have proven Michael's point. "It's just polite to look someone in the eye while you're talking to them. What's wrong with that?" Michael's smile got wider.

"Nothing. But that isn't why you didn't break eye contact, was it? I noticed you had to pretty much tear your eyes off of her. You like her, don't you?" Talon raised an eyebrow.

"Where do you get a silly notion like that? She's a student. I'm a teacher. Nothing would come of it." Michael looked like Talon said the funniest joke in the world. Port finally recovered from his laughter.

"Well, I think you should back off Professor Frost." Talon looked at Port.

"Thank you, Professor." Port nodded, then he started in on him.

"So, what about her do you like? Her eyes? Her hair? Can you see into her soul and like what you see?" Talon was fed up. He reached over and thumped Port on the forehead. Port mocked being hurt and dramatically rubbed his head. When Michael laughed, Talon thumped him too. After his annoyance was spent, he did find the subject matter a little bit funny. The three laughed and shifted the conversation onto other things.

* * *

Blake had her face buried in her book. She refused to look at the boy. Partly because she was irritated at the boy, but mainly because her face was beet red. Now that she wasn't arguing with him, she let her mind's eye linger on his features. _He was SO handsome! I wish I had thought to ask his name. Oh well. I guess I'll have a chance to later this year._ Blake realized she was swooning over a boy she had just met and knew nothing about. She also realised she didn't care. She felt her ears wanting to twitch in excitement. She willed them to stay still, but felt them twitch a few times. Not enough to give it away, but still. She needed to calm down. This wasn't like her. She'd met plenty of handsome boys in her life, and only one had made her feel this way before. She'd found out later that that particular boy wasn't who she thought he was. She didn't want a repeat of that. She took a deep breath and lowered her book a little bit. She started reading again, and noticed that it was getting too dark to read. She reached in her bag that she had brought with her and lit a candle. _Much better. Now maybe I can read without any interruptions._ As if on cue, she heard what sounded like that girl who got into an argument with Weiss earlier being forced to do something against her will. Blake lowered her book, then narrowed her eyes. The girl was being dragged by an older blonde girl. _Will I ever be able to read this book?_

"Hello!" the blonde called out in a sing-song manner. "I believe you two may know each other?" Blake knew the two weren't going to leave her alone unless she played along.

"Aren't you the girl who exploded?" She corrected her previous thought. The blonde wasn't going to leave her alone unless she played along. This girl looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! But you can just call me Crater Fa… Actually you can just call me Ruby." The girl rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. It was kind of adorable.

"Ok," Blake said, laughing a little bit as she said it. She tried to get back to reading. She hoped the two girls would leave now that she had played her part. The blonde dashed her hopes.

"So… what's your name?" Blake sighed.

 _UGGGGHHHH!_ "Blake." The blonde wasn't taking the hint.

"Well Blake, I'm Yang. I'm Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!" Blake tired of this game. She was getting irritated.

"Thanks!" _Now leave! Please!_ Her head started towards her book.

"It goes great with your… pajamas!" Was this girl stupid, desperate, or both?

"Right…" She tried to read again, and nearly threw her book at Yang when she spoke.

"Nice night, don't you think?" Blake was fed up at this point.

"Yes. It's lovely!` Almost as lovely as this BOOK!" The girls didn't get the hint, so she tried again. "That I will continue to READ." Again, they didn't get the hint. _Fine, I'll have to spell it out for them it seems._ "As soon as you LEAVE!" Thankfully, they both finally understood. Yang turned to Ruby.

"Yeah, this girl's a lost cause." Finally! Yang turned to start walking away.

"What's it about?" This caught Blake by surprise. She didn't expect Ruby to speak up at this point.

"Huh?"

"Your book. Does it have a name?" Blake didn't know how to react.

 _Well, what's the harm in telling her what it's about?_ "Well… it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body." Yang seemed like she wanted to leave.

"Oh yeah… That's… real lovely…" Ruby stepped forward while she spoke.

"I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters… They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!" Blake laughed.

 _This girl is just too adorable!_ "And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?" Ruby shrugged.

"Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books… Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves." Blake smiled at the young girl.

"That's very ambitious for a child." Her smile melted into a frown as she remembered her own past. "Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale." She looked up at Ruby.

"Well, that's why we're here! To make it better." Yang, who had been growing more and more proud of her sister as the conversation went on, looked ready to burst.

"Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister!" She hugged her. The two started fighting. Blake couldn't help but laugh at the two.

"Well, Ruby, Yang, it's been a pleasure-" She heard a very annoyed voice address the two sisters.

"What in the world is going on here!?" The two sisters stopped fighting and all three girls eyes were drawn to the newcomer. Correction, newcomers. One was Weiss Schnee, and she didn't know the other girl with her. The girl she didn't recognize spoke, rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah… Some of us are trying to sleep." She yawned after saying this. Weiss and Yang locked eyes and the two girls took a threatening step towards each other.

"Oh! Not you again!"

* * *

Yang was about to throw down with the stuck up princess- or heiress or whatever she was- when someone stepped in between them. She stopped dead when she saw the boy's white hair and tail. "Hey, Ice Queen." Yang nearly laughed when she heard Weiss stomp her foot.

"Michael! I said to stop calling me that!" Michael shook a finger at Weiss and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

"Two things. One, I'll stop calling you Ice Queen when you stop acting like one. Two, it's Professor Frost now. Please try to remember that." Yang couldn't hold it in anymore. She nearly doubled over laughing. Michael led Weiss away towards a redheaded girl and left her there. Weiss started arguing at first, but stopped when he mentioned Talon's name. Rie was also laughing at this point. Michael walked back and got right in Yang's face. "Well, we meet again, Blondie."

Yang got her laughter under control and looked at the boy. "Well, normally I'd chew you out for that. However, considering what you did to Weiss, I'll let it slide. I want a rematch from you, by the way." The boy smiled.

"Sure thing, Blondie. I'll give you one right now if you want!" Yang smiled.

 _Well, I like the cut of his jib. I'll still have to humiliate him if I get the chance in response to what happened in Junior's…_ "Sure thing, Ice-Man. Let me get my Ember Celicas and we'll get started." Michael shook his head.

"Nope. We'll fight unarmed. Right here, right now." Yang's smile widened into one of excitement.

 _Oh, this will be fun!_ "Whenever you're ready Ice-Man." Everyone else backed off, making a sort of ring around the two.

"Bring it on Lava Girl!" Michael yelled. Yang was about to start moving towards Michael when she saw someone appear behind him. She heard a loud SMACK as the newcomer's hand collided with the side of Michael's head. Hard. "Ow! What was that for, man!?" Michael turned and looked at the newcomer. It was Talon Teknos.

"That was for two things; 1, starting a fight with a student and 2, yelling at a student. Now go back to Port." Michael raised a hand in protest.

"Look, she started it!" Talon gave him a flat stare.

"I don't care who started it. I'm finishing it. Now," He raised his arm and pointed to the opposite end of the room. "Go."

Michael looked like he was going to say something, but decided against it. He left, shooting Yang a glance as if to say "This isn't over." Yang smiled and waved goodbye to him- just to get on his nerves. Talon turned to her.

"I apologize for his behavior, however you weren't much better." Yang smiled slyly, and gave Talon a strong right hook. Not strong enough to break anything, but still strong. Ruby and Rie gasped. Blake just put her face in her book, pretending to read. Talon put his hand to his face as he looked at her, shocked. "Wha-"

Yang cut him off. "That was for making Rosey and I wait so long, Gearhead." Talon's eyes held a look of confusion at first, then she saw the light bulb go off as he apparently now recognized her. Or the name, at least. He smiled, and returned her right hook just as hard if not harder. _Good. He remembers the old song and dance._ Ruby finally spoke up.

"Yang, what's going on!? What just happened!?" Rie looked at Talon and said a few words of her own.

"Talon! I can't believe you! What about all your lessons on self-control!?" Blake still had her face buried in her book. Talon and Yang held up their hands to quiet the two girls.

"It's alright, Rie." Talon said, laughing. "Firebrand and I used to do this all the time when I visited Vale. It's kind of like our way of saying we respect each other." Rie looked stunned. Ruby looked at Yang.

"Really?" Yang nodded.

"It's like we're saying 'Hey, you're tough enough to take this punch,' to each other." She said the meaning with faux toughness. She and Talon laughed. Ruby and Rie looked at each other and shrugged. Ruby went and laid down and Rie returned to where she and Weiss had come from. Talon turned to leave, but Yang caught his hand. _I thought my feelings had changed since then, and I was right. However, now that he's in front of me, I feel it all rushing back._ Talon looked down at her hand, then at her.

"Yes, Ms. Xiao Long?" Yang had no idea what she was doing. She knew he probably had a girlfriend or something by now- how could this perfect specimen of mankind go so long without one- but she wanted him to return her feelings.

 _How can he return my feelings if he doesn't know they exist? Well, here goes nothing…_ "It's just, you were going to leave without your reward." Talon raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Oh? And what have I done that deserves a reward?" She knew he was suspicious of what she was doing because of the tone of his voice. She knew that tone. That sweet yet dangerous tone. It was the tone he used when he wanted to know something and didn't want you skirting around the truth or problem.

"Well, you kept your promise." She said, innocently. She walked closer to him and placed her free hand on his shoulder lazily. "Anyone who keeps a promise from so long ago deserves a reward." Her heart was racing. _What am I doing!? He's a teacher now! Not the child you had a crush on! No, come on. You can do this, Yang._ Talon looked at her with no emotion in his eyes. He was the perfect image of calm.

"Really? And what reward did you have in mind, hm? A drink at a bar? Maybe a gift of some kind?" Oh, he knew that wasn't at all what she meant. She could hear the warning in his voice. His mouth asked cluelessly, but what his tone said was "I'd suggest that you pick one of those." She was losing her nerve. She had to figure out a way to make him see her true intention. She drew herself closer to him and looked up into his eyes. His beautiful blue and green eyes. She drew her face closer to his.

"Well, what reward would suit such an accomplishment?" She asked breathy. He stared at her for a long moment, then hugged her.

"I would ask for no more than this, sister," he whispered as he hugged her. She nearly died in horror. He knew exactly what she was implying from the start! He didn't call her sister on accident, that's for sure. Was that all Yang was to him? Was that all she'd ever be? Was she truly not his type? Was there someone else? A million questions like these swirled in her head. She thought she was going to be sick. Talon kept hugging her, and she hugged back. She had tears in her eyes. At least Talon was empathetic enough to know how much his words would've hurt her and kind enough to be there for her when she needed him. It was why she had begun to crush on him as children. And he was kind enough to tell her outright instead of leading her on.

 _Truly, he is the perfect specimen of mankind… I just wish he was mine…_ They hugged for a time, then Yang finally backed away. She looked at him and smiled.

"You ok?" He asked, genuinely concerned. Yang nodded, then rubbed her nose. Talon took two fingers and gently wiped away the tears that were falling down her face. She hadn't realized that she had been full on crying until that point. Great. "Well, I suggest you get some rest. You have a big day tomorrow." He was back to being all business. "Sleep well, Ms. Xiao Long." Yang nodded.

"Thank you, Professor Teknos." And she meant it. Talon nodded and headed towards where he had sent Michael. Yang looked around to see if anyone was looking at her. No one seemed to be. No one except Blake, that is. She'd forgotten Blake was there. Blake had her book in her lap and was looking right at Yang. Yang was a little irritated and opened her mouth to snap at the girl, but decided against it. She walked over to lay next to her sister and tried to get some sleep. Her dreams were full of memories of a little boy she used to know. A little boy named Gearhead.

 _Hey guys. I realize I have not been saying this in the chapters, but I am not involved in RWBY in any way, shape, or form. I am simply basing my story off of it. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Thanks!_


	12. Chapter 10: The Angel's True Colors

It was midnight. His sub-routines woke him up. He looked over to see if his "companions" were asleep. The idiot with the metal legs was snoring. The green-haired thief was sleeping soundly like a baby. He sneered at them. _They look peaceful. Peace is not the way of a warrior. It is the way of a weakling!_ He himself "slept" standing up. Why should he rest on a bed when standing is just fine. _Well, I won't be able to sleep now. I'm going for a walk. I'm tired of being stuck up here with these two._ He left the room making no effort to be quiet. If the two heard him leaving, then fine. It made no difference to him whether they slept for a day or an hour. He himself needed no sleep. He only "slept" for his own sanity. He had gone 3 years without sleep before, thanks to **Talon** \- even the thought of him made him want to break something- and he had no intention of going through that living hell ever again. He was getting mad. He thought about his deal with Cinder.

" _You would like revenge on Talon, wouldn't you?"_

" _You have no idea."_

" _I can help you with that. In fact, we could help each other."_ At this point, Archangel knew what the girl on the other end was trying to do. She was trying to manipulate him. She was trying to use him as a means to an end. He decided then that he wouldn't be used by her. He decided she would be used by him.

" _I'm listening"_

" _Well then, let me tell you what I have in mind. You see, I do not work alone. I am not even really the one in charge. Emerald, Mercury and I work for a being named Salem. She commands the Grimm."_ This had surprised Archangel, and he didn't believe her at first.

" _Why would anyone work alongside the person who commands the Grimm? I don't appreciate being lied to."_ Cinder had smiled at that. And her answer was simple.

" _Power."_ Archangel knew that desire all to well. He also wanted more power, even though he was already a very powerful being himself. But it wasn't enough.

" _Why are you telling me this? I might just kill this being and take their power for my own."_ Cinder had smiled at this, too.

" _I'm telling you this to make my offer. I will arrange a meeting with her for you."_ Archangel had to hand it to this girl. Most humans were either stupid or arrogant. Cinder was not stupid or arrogant. She was ROYALLY stupid and EXTREMELY arrogant. It actually impressed him that she could be so stupid to think that he could be controlled and so arrogant not to realise that she was the one who was being controlled.

" _And in exchange?"_

" _You will work for me until you meet her."_ Archangel didn't like this deal. He didn't want to work for any human being. He was far superior to them. However, this deal would bring him one step closer to his ultimate goal.

" _Very well. I have a question for you."_ Cinder nodded for him to go on. " _How did you know I was in this room? And how did you know the password to enter it?"_ She laughed.

" _That isn't something that you need to know right now. My source wished to remain anonymous."_ That had made Archangel angry. He knew that wasn't the truth. He knew she just didn't want to tell him. However, he also knew that if he rebelled too much too quickly, she'd catch on to him. He didn't want to be too complacent, but not too rebellious. The rest of his conversation with Cinder was about trivial things that he didn't really care about. She told him not to reveal himself to the world again too quickly. He could strike when the time was right. No doubt she would determine when the right time was. He wanted to kill her as soon as he came face to face with her, but she DID agree to help him kill **Talon**. As long as she was useful, he supposed that she could live.

He put on the jacket that Mercury and Emerald had "procured" for him and walked out of their apartment. He walked to the edge of the city and looked out at the land surrounding it. It was too peaceful, of course. He then walked throughout the city, hoping someone would try to rob him. The city was quiet. It looked like a ghost town,. He smiled at the comparison he'd just made. _Maybe I can make it one in truth later on. That would be fun…_ He walked past an establishment that was actually still open. He heard music coming from it. _A night club. Interesting, but not the kind of entertainment I'm looking for._ His anger was still built up from thinking about his creator and Cinder. On top of that, Mercury has been very annoying the last two days. He heard the sound of someone walking in a nearby alley. He turned to see who it was.

"Hey, you." The man who approached him was wearing all black with a skull mask covering his face. He spoke with a rasp to his voice- as though he were a walking skeleton. "Come here. I wanted to ask you something." Archangel was elated.

 _Finally, someone dumb enough to attack me!_ "Alright," he replied in a cold voice. When he got close, he asked the man's name.

"The name's Bones." The man waved him into the alley-way, and blocked the exit. Idiot. "I was just wanting to ask you if you'd be interested in parting with some of your Liyen." He pulled out what appeared to be a bone katana. Archangel looked at him and nearly laughed.

 _This fool believes he can defeat me with this toothpick!? Well, it's his funeral._ "I don't want to, thank you." He got into his fighting stance. Bones laughed.

"I'm afraid you don't get a choice." Bones charged him and swung his weapon. Archangel dodged out of the way easily. Bones made a quick back swing that almost hit Archangel. Whoever this Bones was obviously had training. Archangel dodged again. Bones swung again, and they played this game for a few more swings. Finally, Bones switched tactics. After his 7th attempt to hit Archangel, he tried to sweep his leg. Archangel felt the leg hit his own, and laughed. Bones tried to take advantage of the distraction to attack Archangel with a stabbing attack. Archangel punched down the length of the katana, shattering the bone blade all the way to it's hilt. Bones dropped his sword in terror. "What are you!?" Bones tried to run away, but Archangel grabbed his arm to stop him. Bones froze. Archangel squeezed until he heard it pop. He then threw Bones hard into a wall on his right. Not hard enough to knock him out, but still hard enough to make a satisfying crack in the wall. He put his face in front of Bones and ripped of his mask. The terrified brown eyes that looked back at him where full of tears. This "man" was no more than a boy of maybe 16. Archangel didn't care. He was going to die anyway for attacking him.

"What am I?" He grabbed the boy's throat and lifted him a foot off of the ground. Archangel laughed wickedly. "I am Death, and I've come to take your pathetic, miniscule life away from you." He chokeslammed the boy hard enough to see his Aura start to dissipate. He put one foot on the boy's chest. "Any last words, boy?" Bones looked up at him.

"Please don't kill me?" Archangel looked like he was going to consider it, then smiled down at the boy.

"Sorry, but your life was forfeit the moment you called out to me." He stomped on the boy's chest. Hard.

* * *

The two looked at each other. They had never witnessed such brutality done so quickly. Her companion spoke first through his voice changer. It made him sound like he was a robot. "What should we do? Should we follow him?"She had no idea what her companion looked like, and he didn't know what she looked like. They were both wearing masks and hooded cloaks. She looked up and did some scenarios in her head. Almost all of them led to them being noticed. With how quickly he noticed Bones, she was surprised that this person didn't notice them. She spoke through her own voice changer.

"No. We will have to watch him passively." Hers made her sound like some demon. "Besides, he's not our target. I was hoping Bones would lead us to him eventually, but that's out. We must hurry to make up for lost time." Her companion nodded. The two decided to split up to cover more ground. As she left, she wondered who that person was that he could so easily dispatch Bones. _No. Focus on the mission. Lance isn't going to find himself._

* * *

 _A few hours later_

Emerald's eyes opened. She yawned and stretched as she sat up in her bed. She blinked. Neither Archangel nor Mercury were in the room. She looked at the clock. 4:00 AM. _They must already be in the living room._ She got out of bed and put her clothes on. She strapped her revolver sickles to her back as she walked into the living room. Mercury was sitting in front of the TV with a disapproving look on his face. Archangel was leaning against a wall behind him with a wicked smile. "Hey guys." Mercury shushed her. Emerald looked at Mercury in surprise. "What?" He waved her over. When she sat down, she noticed Mercury was watching the news. "Finally trying to keep up with current affairs, Merc?" Mercury gave her a dangerous look. Emerald backed up a little bit in shock. Mercury sighed.

"Just watch." He turned up the TV. Emerald looked at the set, and noticed that the police chief of Mistral City was on the screen talking to someone offscreen.

"... must be a form of vigilante justice- albeit a brutal form of it. We still would like residents to take care when walking the streets at night until we get more information on this case." The screen cut to a newsroom.

"Thank you, chief. For those of you just tuning in, a wanted criminal known only as Bones was found dead an hour ago with an arm popped out of place and what appears to be a footprint in his chest that goes past his spinal column. More on this story as it develops. Next, rumors of cloaked figures seen here in Mistral: Fact? Or simple fantasy? Stay tuned to find out." Mercury turned off the TV and threw the controller on the coffee table. He turned to Archangel, who was still smiling.

"Are you happy with yourself?" Archangel nodded, then came to sit next to them. Mercury got up and walked over to the counter separating the living room and kitchen. Emerald scooted over to make room for Archangel. She looked at him like he was a completely new person. Archangel looked at her with his cold grey eyes.

 _I need to say something to him._ "Why did you do it, Archangel?" Mercury spoke up.

"Because he's a homicidal maniac, that's why! I think Cinder made a mistake getting him on the team. Who knows when he'll get tired of us being around? He could kill us at any moment. He could-" Archangel cut him off.

"Quiet, Kicky. If you want to avoid me wanting to kill you, I'd suggest you stop talking right now." Mercury clamped his mouth shut and shot a glare at the back of Archangel's head. "Thank you." Emerald's hair stood on end.

 _He's not afraid to murder someone, but that could just be a result of his captivity. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably want to take my anger out on something. Maybe not quite like he did, but we all react differently._ She put a hand on Archangel's shoulder. He looked at her hand, then at her.

"I would move my hand if I were you. You might lose it." She drew her hand back. Mercury spoke up.

"Hey, she's trying to be friendly to you. You're being rude, T-" He closed his mouth with an audible click. Archangel turned to him.

"I really don't like you, Kicky. Don't push your luck. The only reason you're still alive is because of my deal with Cinder." Mercury matched glares with Archangel.

' _Mercury, you idiot! What are you doing!',_ Emerald screamed in her head. Mercury finally dropped his eyes, then turned his back to them. He called from over his shoulder:

"Wasn't part of that deal to NOT reveal yourself?" Emerald looked at Archangel. He showed no emotion.

"Correct."

"And what do you think you just did?" Archangel smiled.

"I killed a man." Emerald scooted a little further away from him. Mercury turned.

"Yes, in a way that only YOU could do! Wouldn't that reveal you to the world?" Archangel laughed at Mercury.

"Only if someone knew what to look for. And the ones who know what to look for won't be looking." He looked at Emerald. "So, what's the plan for today." It wasn't a question. It was an order. She sighed.

"We were contacted by Cinder. We're to test your combat abilities." Archangel's smile grew dark.

"Against?" Mercury raised his hand.

"Me." Archangel's smile went from dark to dangerous.

"Perfect." Emerald shuttered.

 _This isn't a smart idea…_ "Just try not to kill each other, ok?" Mercury nodded while Archangel stared back at her. The only emotion on his face was his smile. His cold, dangerous smile. The smile of a killer.

"No promises. If he isn't strong enough to survive the encounter…" He trailed off, his smile never leaving his face. Emerald shuttered again.

 _Cinder, what have you gotten us into…_

* * *

 _Hey guys. It will probably take longer for me to upload future chapters. I have recently gotten a job that will take up a lot of my time each week. I will keep uploading as often as I can. Hope I can keep up with this! I'm going to try to put in a little bit of trivia at the end of each chapter from now on (if something interesting happens in the creation of that chapter or if I don't run out of trivia). The trivia for this chapter revolves around Bones. Bones was originally going to be a main character who would end up working for Archangel much later in the story. He was going to trick Talon Teknos into fighting Archangel, but this clashed with my initial thoughts for his character. He wasn't weak, but he was a pushover (as in he was easy to boss around). He wouldn't have the guts to attempt to trick Talon as he would know that Talon isn't someone to mess with. On top of that, I couldn't think of a situation where he could get the two in the same room. I didn't want to completely waste his concept, so I thought of putting him in here to show off Archangel's power. Bones's character was originally going to be a student at Beacon, then I thought of him being a big criminal. I even thought of him being the criminal that Talon told Port that he tracked down for the Atlas military. The only problem with these ideas was that I couldn't come up with a good semblance for him. He was also, at one point, going to work for a store across the street from Dust to Dawn. He was going to be the person who gave the eyewitness report on the robbery of Dust to Dawn. In the end, I decided that the best way to use him was to show off Archangel's strength and brutality. That's all for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed!_


	13. Chapter 11: Initiation Day

_I am in no way associated with RWBY or Rooster Teeth. This is simply inspired by RWBY. I am in no way gaining from this FanFiction and am simply writing for fun. Enjoy!_

* * *

Port and Michael were both asleep. Talon had told them to catch some shut eye and he would wake them if anything came up. Aside from a few students getting up to get some water or head to the restrooms, no one moved. Talon sat in his chair watching the students through the cameras he had set up before they arrived. He constantly switched which camera he was seeing through by swiping left or right on his scroll. He checked the time. _6:00… I should get Port and Michael up before the students._ This would be easy for him to do, seeing as how he was sitting between the two. He decided to wake Port first. He gently placed a hand on the older man's shoulder and shook him. "Port," he whispered just loud enough for the other man to hear. "Port." He woke with a grunt.

"Mmhuh? What is it?" He rubbed his eyes.

"It's 6 o'clock. I wanted to wake you before the students woke up." Port nodded.

"I see. That was" YAWN "a good call. We're supposed to be more disciplined than them. Well, should I wake up Professor Frost?" Talon shook his head.

"I've got it." He shook his friend hard. Michael jolted up.

"Wha- Where-" He looked over at Talon, who was grinning. Michael groaned. "Do you have to wake me up like that?" Talon nodded.

"Of course I do. You're such a heavy sleeper that you won't wake up EXCEPT by extreme force." The three laughed. "So, Professor Port, what now?" Port surveyed the students.

"Hmm… The students should wake up any second now.. You two go get some breakfast." Talon cocked his head.

"The day doesn't really begin for another hour, though." Port laughed.

"True, but you know how teenagers are, being one yourselves. When they get excited, they can't sleep and then wake up early. Look, some of them are stirring now." Talon looked and noticed that students were indeed starting to get up. He would've thought they'd get all the sleep they could before needing to wake up, but he guessed he might've been the same way in their shoes.

 _Of course they'd wake up early. They want initiation to come as quickly as possible._ Talon nodded to himself, then turned to Michael- who was in the middle of yawning. _He may be used to staying up late, but he sure isn't used to waking up early after staying up late._ "Well, shall we go raid the food bar?" Michael looked at him and smiled.

"You know it!" The two got up and walked towards the cafeteria. As Talon passed by the sleeping form of Yang, he looked over at her.

 _Sorry, Yang, but you were always no more than a sister to me. Both you and Ruby._ Despite him feeling no sort of romantic interest in Yang, he felt bad about the events of last night. He knew from the get go what she was implying for his "reward." Even if he did have any feelings for Yang in that way, he couldn't accept the reward she was offering. He was a teacher. She was a student. It was that simple. He looked over at where Blake was the night before. Considering how early she had gotten to the ballroom last night, it didn't surprise him to see that she wasn't there. He did wonder how she had left without him noticing, but he didn't really care. He had checked periodically, and she did indeed stay there the entire night. He walked into the cafeteria and saw some students already sitting at tables. He was surprised that they didn't want to change first, but to each their own. He noticed that the redhead he had told Michael to move Weiss to was sitting down by herself. Everyone else was sitting in groups or pairs and talking. The girl seemed lonely. _And why wouldn't she be? Maybe I can join her. That's what I'll do._ He walked over to the food window and got some bacon, eggs, and coffee. Michael got the same, except he asked for ice coffee. _Of course he would._ He told Michael to sit wherever, but he preferred to be away from him for a bit. Michael agreed, a little confused. Talon walked over to the girl with his tray in hand. "Excuse me." The girl's green eyes looked up at him.

"Yes?" Talon smiled.

"I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind a friend to eat with. Would you?" She smiled back at him.

"No. Not at all." She reached a hand out to him as he sat down. "I'm Pyrrha Nikos." He set his tray on the table and shook her hand.

"Professor Talon Teknos, at your service." Pyrrha's face froze. Her smile widened. "I've heard a lot about you, Ms. Nikos. You've won the Mistral Regional Tournament 4 years in a row, as I recall." Pyrrha laughed nervously.

"Yes, well, that pales in comparison to what you've accomplished, Professor. I hear you killed 10 Ursai singlehandedly without taking more than a scratch." Talon grunted in irritation.

 _How does no one get this story right!?_ "Well, that's not entirely true. I did fight 10 Ursai at once, but I only killed 8 of them. The first 7 were killed without touching me, but my finishing blow against the seventh one left me open to an attack from the eighth. He got me good, nearly gutting me right there and then." Pyrrha gasped. "I did end up killing that one, but I was weak from the battle. Before the last two could close in on me, my assistant dispatched them and carried me to the nearest hospital. I spent 2 days in bed before I could even move, much less walk. If not for Rie, I'd be dead right now." He put his hand on his side, remembering the pain that slash had caused. He still had the scar. He looked over at Pyrrha. She was looking down at his hand.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. I didn't know how serious your 'scratch' was." Great. Now she was pitying him. This wasn't what he needed. He just wanted her to know that the version she had heard was wrong. He rubbed his forehead.

"It's ok. It's not like it's your fault that it happened. I'm the one who should be apologizing. I ruined the mood for eating. No one wants to think of another's pain while they eat." He had to think of a way to lighten the mood. He looked down at his fork, then noticed Pyrrha had finished most of her meal before he came over. _There's an idea…_ "Can I see your fork for a second." Pyrrha looked at him, understandably confused.

"Sure…?" She handed him the fork, and he put it in his left hand. He picked up his own fork, and started playing a song that he remembered from before. He started by tapping his foot in time to the song "Believer" for the first verse and chorus as he sang. When he reached the second verse, he started tapping the two forks in time to the clicking sounds he always thought sounded like spoons. He sang the entire song for Pyrrha. When he finished, she started clapping. So did all the students in the cafeteria. A little embarrassed- he had only meant for Pyrrha to hear the song- he stood and bowed. He sat back down and the students went back to their food. He looked at Pyrrha, who had a huge smile on her face. "That was amazing! I would've never guessed that you could sing!" Talon smiled at her as he handed her her fork back.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She laughed as she accepted the fork.

"I just mean that I had never heard from anyone that you could." Talon mock wilted at this.

"Really?" He fake pouted. "All those charity concerts with Weiss were for nothing…" This got the result he had hoped for, which was to make Pyrrha laugh. He felt a presence on the other side of the table.

"Oh? They were? I'll remember that next time I do one." Talon looked at Weiss as she sat down across from him.

"Morning, Ms. Schnee. Sleep well?" She shot him a smile.

"Yeah. Once I could get some sleep, that is. Those two girls last night were way too loud." Talon chuckled.

"Yes, well, Ms. Xiao Long has been like that for a long time." Weiss cocked her head.

"You know her?" Talon started eating as he was talking.

"Yes. I know both her and her sister. They are good friends of mine." He let himself reminisce about his time spent with them. He didn't do so long, however, because he noticed that students were starting to leave. He looked at his plate- mostly full- and heard his stomach growl. "I'm sorry, Weiss, but I'm going to have to be rude for a moment. I need to eat." Weiss nodded, then started talking to Pyrrha. They talked about minor things- the night before, how they ended up at Beacon, etc. When Talon finished his food, he excused himself. "I apologize for not being good eating company, but I was hungry." Weiss and Pyrrha said that there was no need to apologize. Talon nodded his thanks, then left the two girls to talk. He found Michael talking to Rie and a boy Talon didn't recognize. He walked over. "Hello." Rie looked up at him.

"Hey, Talon. I want you to meet someone." She pointed to the boy. "This is Sam Jones. I met him while walking around the city." The man tipped his sailor's hat in Talon's direction. Talon nodded his head in response.

"Nice to meet you, Sam. I'm Professor Talon Teknos." Sam smiled at him.

"I hear from my distant cousin here" he pointed at Michael as he spoke, "that you are quite the fighter." Talon nodded.

"That's the rumor, anyway." The two smiled. Talon noticed that Michael was no longer drinking from his coffee mug. He was, of course, drinking from his flask. Talon patted Michael's back. "Hurry up. The students are starting to get ready for the initiation." Michael nodded, corked his flask, and left with Talon. Talon looked at Michael. "I didn't know you had family here." Michael nodded.

"I was surprised to see him here myself." His voice lowered to a whisper. "I'll fill you in on how he got to Remnant later." Talon looked around. No one was close enough to hear, he thought. However, his experience with Blake yesterday taught him not to underestimate Faunus ears, and there were a few Faunus in the room. He lowered his own voice to a barely audible whisper.

"You made sure he knows that he shouldn't let onto the fact that he is from Earth, right?" Michael nodded. "Good. We don't want to cause a panic." Michael nodded again. Talon's voice returned to normal. "So, ready for today?" Michael smiled.

"Of course I am! I get to see how good the students are at fighting!" Talon smiled.

"Me too." The two put their empty trays away and walked back into the ballroom. Only Port was in the room. Talon guessed that a lot of the students had gone to change before eating. Port looked at them and smiled.

"Well, how was breakfast?" Talon smiled back at Port. Before he could say anything, Michael spoke up.

"It was alright. The bacon could've been crunchier and the eggs could've been cooked a little longer. And the coffee could've been stronger too. Oh, the plates were a little-" Talon reached over and smacked Michael on the back of the head. "OW! Will you PLEASE stop doing that!?" Talon and Port laughed.

"We'll see, Michael. Give me a reason to stop and I might." Michael rubbed the back of his head. Port laughed again.

"Come on, you two. Ozpin wants to see us before initiation." The two boys nodded and followed Port.

* * *

Ruby was very excited today. She wished she had her sister's enthusiasm right now. Her pride was still a little wounded from the night before. Her dreams didn't help. Well, at least Talon had been understanding about the whole situation. Two students passed by talking. Well, the orange-haired girl was talking. The black-haired boy was simply listening. Ruby looked at them. "Wonder what those two are so worked up about?" Yang looked at Ruby, and accidentally let her frustration into her voice.

"Oh, who cares?" She winced. _Calm down, Yang._ Ruby didn't deserve her anger. Just because she was irritated about last night didn't mean that she could snap at everyone around. Luckily, Ruby seemed to miss the irritation in her voice. "So, you seem awfully chipper this morning!" Ruby nodded.

"Yep! No more awkward small talk or "getting-to-know-you" stuff. Today, I get to let my sweetheart do the talking." She caressed her Crescent Rose. Yang's "big-sister" mentality kicked in as she started to give Ruby advice.

"Well, remember, Ruby, you're not the only one going through initiation. If you wanna grow up, you're gonna have to meet new people and learn to work together." And she meant it. Ruby was an awkward girl, and always had been. The only people she seemed comfortable around were lifelong friends, family, Rie, and Jaune. Ruby sighed.

"Ugh! You sound like DAD!" She shoved Crescent Rose into her locker, then slammed the door as she turned to face Yang. "Okay, first of all: What does meeting new people have to do with fighting? And secondly: I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink **milk!** " Yang couldn't help but smile at her younger sister. The milk statement almost made her laugh out loud.

"But what about when we form teams?" Ruby became nervous at this.

"Um, I don't know, I.. I'll just be on your team or something…" Yang absently started stroking her hair.

"Maybe you should try being on someone else's team?" Before she could say anything else, Ruby got defensive.

"My dear sister Yang, are you implying that you do not wish to be on the same team as me?" Yang started, genuinely shocked.

 _Where did she get that from? I just wanted her to broaden her horizons!_ "What? No! Of course I do!" _You ARE my sister, after all._ "I just thought… I don't know, maybe it would help you… break out of your shell!" Ruby looked stunned.

"What the-!? I don't need to 'break out of my shell'! That's absolutely-"

"Ridiculous!" The two sisters jumped as Jaune walked right in between them and said the word at the same time as Ruby. They watched him walk past, and saw Rie walking towards them. She was walking with a handsome boy wearing a sailor's outfit. Rie smiled as she approached the two sisters. Ruby ran to meet her halfway. Yang couldn't help but smile as she watched her younger sister.

 _At least she's made some friends since coming to Beacon._ Rie, Ruby, and the boy walked up to her. "Hey Rie." Yang smiled mischievously "Who's the hunk?" Rie's face went crimson.

"Uhm… He's… He's uhm…" The boy spoke up.

"The name's Sam Jones." He poked his chest as he said this. "And who are you, lass?" Yang smiled and held her hand out to Sam.

"Yang Xiao Long. Forgive my comment. I just wanted to get under Rie's skin." Sam laughed as he shook her hand. Rie quickly tried to change the subject.

"So! Are we all ready?" Yang and Sam nodded. Ruby reopened her locker and grabbed Crescent Rose, then also nodded. As they were all about to head out towards the initiation, they heard the sound of a spear hitting a wall. They all looked, and winced to see Jaune pinned to a locker by a red spear. A tall red-headed girl- presumably the owner of the spear- was standing next to Weiss. She reached towards Jaune apologetically.

"I'm sorry!" Her hair was down to her waist and was worn in a ponytail. She had a bronze circlet around her head. She wore a strapless light-brown top and a black A-line miniskirt. Her arms were mostly covered by extremely long gloves, with a bronze bracer and bronze bracelet on her left arm. Around her neck was a large bronze gorget. She wore a red ankle-length drapery that wrapped around her skirt. Her high-heeled boots were brown with bronze trim and reached up to her mid-calves. She had a bronze shield strapped to her back. Yang noticed that the girl was pretty muscular in comparison to most of the other girls at Beacon, and that made her realise that this was Pyrrha Nikos. Rie spoke up.

"Seems like Jaune struck out." They all nodded in agreement. The intercom system came on, and Yang heard Glynda's voice coming through a speaker near the ceiling.

"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately." Rie, Ruby, Sam, and Yang all looked at each other. Ruby decided it would be a good idea to check up on Jaune before they left. It was clear that Weiss wasn't going to. Pyrrha grabbed her spear as she walked past Jaune.

"It was nice meeting you!" Jaune slid down the locker until he was sitting against it.

"Likewise." Yang actually pitied the boy.

 _I know how it feels, Jaune. At least Talon was nice about it with me…_ She wanted to joke about it, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Sam, however, had no problem making light of the situation.

"Havin' some trouble there, lad?" Yang could hear the chuckle in his voice. Rie also stepped forward and had a jab of her own at the ready.

"Yeah. I thought you were the 'lady-killer'?" Jaune looked at them.

"I don't get it. My dad said all women look for is confidence! Where did I go wrong?" Sam offered Jaune a helping hand, chuckling.

"'Snow Angel,' lad. I'd say somewhere around there." Jaune accepted Sam's help. Sam clapped him on the back, and he and Rie walked off. Ruby got under Jaune's arm, supporting him. Yang got on the other side. Yang tried comforting him.

"It could be worse." He scoffed.

"How could this POSSIBLY get any worse?" Yang smiled.

"Well, at least Weiss isn't a Grimm." Jaune sighed. _Ok, that obviously isn't helping…_ "Look, Jaune, there's plenty of fish in the sea. So Weiss rejected you. So what? You can always find someone who won't." Ruby looked at her. Jaune didn't respond. Ruby patted Jaune on the back as they left the locker room.

"Come on, Jaune. Let's go."

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

He was sitting down at his chair, looking out of his window. Talon, Michael, and Peter should be on their way here now. He heard a knock at the door. "Yes?" The voice that answered belonged to Port.

"You wanted to talk to us?" Ozpin called out for the three to enter. He turned in his chair and observed them. Peter was the first to enter, with Michael being second and Talon bringing up the rear.

"Peter, you may leave. Talon and Michael, I would like some words with you two." They nodded as Peter left. Ozpin motioned the two boys to sit in front of them. He opened his scroll and placed it in between himself and the boys. On the screen, it showed the sleeping forms of Michael and Peter while Talon was scrolling through his own scroll. Talon lifted an eyebrow.

"How did you get this footage? I didn't see any cameras before I set mine up and my cameras wouldn't have shown this in the angle it was taken." Ozpin smiled.

"Professor Teknos, do you really believe that the headmaster of a school wouldn't know where to hide things in his own building?" Talon nodded, then appeared to realize something.

"Fair enough, but when did you place them there?" Ozpin smiled again.

"If I told you everything, what would you have left to learn? Isn't that why you were coming here in the first place? To learn?" Talon had no response to this. In truth, Ozpin had put the camera there personally when Glynda had suggested the punishment. He had to use his Semblance to do so, but he placed it there and reached the meeting room before Talon made it there himself. He placed it behind a pillar that he knew Talon wouldn't look behind. The irony of the whole situation is that it was a camera Talon himself had designed many years ago. It was small enough to not make much noise. It also had legs that could stick to any surface. It was Talon Teknos' very own Spider-Cam. Ozpin smiled. Michael spoke up.

"So, is there any reason that you're showing us this?" Ozpin nodded.

"You two DO know that was supposed to be a punishment, right?" They nodded. "Which means it was supposed to be a way to teach you discipline. Is that an accurate assumption?" They nodded again, more slowly this time. "Then why was Talon the only one to partake in said punishment?" They both froze. Ozpin waited for a response. Surprisingly, Michael spoke first.

"Because he wanted to…?" Talon flinched. Ozpin smiled.

"I see. So Talon did the punishment because HE wanted to? Is that correct?" Talon spoke up in his own defense, obviously not trusting Michael's next words.

"That isn't what he meant. You see, I realized that I could perform the job on my own just as effectively as three people could. So, the logical solution was to let them rest so they would be better rested for today. I myself don't need sleep as much as most other people, so it made sense for me to keep watch." Ozpin nodded.

"A very valid point, Professor Teknos. If this were a test of efficiency, then you would pass with flying colors." The two boys relaxed. "However," they started. "last night WASN'T a test. It was a punishment. Since the punishment wasn't met out correctly, you two will be accompanying myself and Miss Goodwitch on the initiation today. Glynda has half a mind to make you two take part in the initiation as well, but that would ruin it for the students. I heard about the 10 Ursai that you fought before, Professor Teknos. And Professor Frost says he can give you a 'run for your money,' so I can assume you two would blow through the initiation and leave nothing for the students to do." He paused.

"Then, what are we going to do instead?" Ozpin looked at Michael.

"You two are to shadow the students. Do not intervene unless they would die otherwise. Even if they are in great pain, only intervene if absolutely necessary." He hated giving this order- as he hated to think of the students in pain with no aid- but it was either this or have Glynda ruin them with an insurmountable workload as punishment. The two nodded. "Good. That is all. I will see you on the cliff." They left, and Ozpin turned back around to gaze out of his window overlooking Vale. _I just pray they don't need to intervene…_

* * *

 _I'm very sorry about the LOOOONG break between this chapter and the last one. I can't remember if I said this in the last chapter, but I have a full-time job now and don't really have time after work (on the days I work the second or third shift). When I do have time, I'm either tired or don't feel like working on this (because my brain needs to reset every now and then). I predict another long break before the next chapter comes out because I only have 2 days off a week (and I have some stuff to do usually on those days, be it with friends or around the house). Anyway, time for the trivia for this chapter. The trivia revolves around the origins of this story in general. I was talking with one of my friends in school, and we got to talking about how fun it would be to be in RWBY. After a few talks, we were going to have Talon Teknos, Rie Himora, Michael Frost, and Sam Jones be students at Beacon (they would've formed Team MSTR [Team Masters]). I then read a different FanFiction and realized that Talon and Michael would probably end up becoming teachers. Don't worry about Rie and Sam not having two more team members, because I have already fixed that problem (and have for some time). That's pretty much it, except to say that I didn't create Michael Frost or Sam Jones. The friend I was talking to about this was the one who created them. Well, that should be all for this chapter. Goodbye all!- VaanRat_

 _P.S.- As someone said in the comments, beware the might of Finn McLir!_


	14. Chapter 12: Part 1

_Hey guys! I am in no way affiliated with RWBY or Rooster Teeth, and gain nothing from this work of fiction. Enjoy! (Also, sadly, nothing interesting really happened this time around. I'll think of some trivia for the second part.)_

 **Unusual Circumstances**

He was standing atop a metal plate on Beacon Cliff, but his mind wasn't really there. He was thinking about what Yang had told him in the locker room. _Plenty of fish in the sea? She thinks I don't know that? I know Weiss isn't the only girl in the world, but she's the one I'm after. You don't take a mackerel over… something that's rarer than a mackerel… Yeah… And besides, if I keep going after Weiss, she's bound to see that I'm the one for her at some point. I'm not a quitter._ He sighed. _Now's not the time to be thinking on this. I should probably pay attention to initiation._ Ozpin was standing in front of the students with Ms. Goodwitch to his left and Professors Teknos and Frost to his right. Professor Teknos was standing at attention in full red and black combat armor. His armor covered him from head to toe, leaving only his blank face exposed. Very professional. Professor Frost, on the other hand, was anything BUT professional. He was drinking from a flask and wore very casual clothes. His stance seemed to say that he was not taking this seriously. Jaune's attention was drawn to Ozpin.

"... it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well. That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." Jaune's jaw dropped.

 _How will we be paired with someone we can work well with if we don't really have a say in who we're partnered with!... Wait, did he say landing?_

"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you **will** die." Jaune didn't like the sound of that. Not one bit. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Also, Ms. Himora, you are aware of your specific stipulation for initiation, correct?"

"Yes sir." Ozpin nodded.

"Good. Now, are there any questions?"

"Yeah, um, sir?" Ozpin ignored him.

" **Good!** Now, take your positions." Jaune tried again.

"Uh, sir? I, um, I have a question. So, this landing… strategy thing… Uh, wha- what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

"No. You will be falling." Jaune gulped.

"I see. Did you, uh, hand out parachutes… or… something?"

"No. You will be using your own landing strategy." Jaune was still confused.

"Uh-huh… Yeah… So, what exactly is a landing strateg **YYY!** " Halfway through the word "strategy", he felt the metal plate under him lift with enough force to throw him like a catapult. He started spinning helplessly as he rose into the air and then descended towards the forest. _OH GOD! I think I'm gonna hurl!_

* * *

She wasn't too happy about her "stipulation." "Limitation" is what it really was. She was told to use her Semblance sparingly. She would actually lose points if she relied too heavily on her Semblance during initiation. _I bet Talon had something to do with this… What am I saying! OF COURSE he did!_ Talon had always tried to train her to fight hand to hand or at least with a weapon. She didn't see why. Unless she was fighting Talon or he had put a rule in place where she couldn't use it while training, her Semblance was strong enough to get by without the need for close quarters combat. But, she did admit her body wasn't as strong as it could be as a result. It didn't need to be. She noticed the trees of the forest were getting closer. Of course, she couldn't just make a Dust board to land. That would be "relying on her Semblance too much." So, she surrounded herself with an impenetrable armor of Dust. Talon referred to this as her going "Dust-girl mode." Whatever that meant. She went right through a tree hard enough to make her whole body vibrate, then through another tree. When she hit the ground, she shook violently. Luckily, her Dust armor took the major part of the impact. She bet even Talon would've been recovering for a while after THAT big of an impact. She stood up, returning her Dust to their vials. She shook her head, and was suddenly hit with a wave of dizziness. _Woah… Can someone stop the spinning world please?..._ She heard something from her right. At least, she thought it was her right. She heard growling. A lot of it. _Oh boy, Grimm… I might be screwed. Were they attracted by the sound of my impact?_ She started to recover enough to look around without feeling sick to her stomach. She saw at least 4 Beowolves closing in on her. _Lovely. Come on, Rie. Get it together._ The dizziness faded away, but the Grimm had her surrounded. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. Normally. However, she couldn't use her Semblance like she normally would. She used the Dust around her waist to create a Dust spear. "Alright, uglies. Who's first?" The one behind her charged. She turned and stabbed hard into the creature's mouth. The Beowolf stopped, then crumpled to the ground. Before she could dislodge her weapon, another one charged. She let go of the spear and jumped back. Right into another Beowolf's swipe. She was sent a few feet away. Before she could get up, the three Grimm were closing in fast. _Good job, Talon. You've killed me._ She closed her eyes. _Come on! Think!_ She had an idea. She let Dust stream out of her vials around her torso. She opened her eyes, willed the Dust into the eyes of the Grimm, then scrambled away from them as fast as she could. She heard a shotgun blast from behind her. One of the Grimm was sent flying backwards. Before she could tell what was happening, she saw a harpoon fly into another of the Beowolves. That Beowolf was slammed into the last standing Grimm, knocking it away.

"Can't ye pick on someone yer own size, ye dumb animals?" Rie smiled. Sam ripped his harpoon out of the Grimm that it was resting in via the chain that attached it to his giant gauntlet. It turned into an anchor, and Sam left it on the ground. "Now, get out of here 'fore I rip yer fur off and turn it into a rug!" The Grimm made no effort to leave. "Alright. It's yer funeral." He started swinging his arm around. The anchor started to gain speed and height. As the Grimm charged, Sam slammed his arm down. The anchor lodged itself into the charging Grimm's head. Sam, for good measure, walked up to it and put his shotgun to it's chest. "Say goodnight, ya filthy monster." He pulled the trigger. The Grimm flew back, off of the anchor. The anchor started falling towards Sam. Rie flinched in horror.

 _It's going to kill him!_ Sam didn't seem to noticed the anchor. Until he dropped his gun and caught the anchor with his free hand. The anchor turned back into a harpoon, and he placed it back into his gauntlet. He picked up his shotgun, then clipped it to his hip. _Ok, now THAT was cool!_ Sam turned to face her.

"Ye alright lass?" Rie nodded. Sam walked over to the smoking body of the Grimm she had killed. He ripped her Dust spear out of the monster, then the Grimm started dissipating faster. He held the spear out to her. "I do believe that this be yers." She smiled. The Dust started to evaporate, then returned to her vials.

"Thanks, but I could've handled it." Sam laughed.

"That's not what I saw, lass! Why didn't ye just blow them away with yer dust?" Her smile faltered.

"My special 'stipulation' is that I have to try to stop relying on my Semblance entirely." Sam nodded.

"Ah. I see." He clapped her on the back. "Well, shall we?" He gestured to the north.

"We shall. After you." They both smiled, then walked towards the northern part of the forest. Rie tried very hard to focus on the initiation instead of the handsome man walking by her side. She mostly succeeded. Mostly.

* * *

He was… he didn't have the words. _I knew Rie wasn't the most capable fighter, but good LORD that was awful…_ He had never seen her fight that badly. To be fair, she was recovering from her landing, but that wasn't that much of an excuse. He had trained her as much as she was willing to learn, but he wouldn't have known she had any training based on that fight. He just hoped she showed better combat skills throughout the rest of the initiation. If she didn't, she wouldn't be accepted. Sam, however, was very good at normal fighting. At least Rie had him watching her back. He couldn't watch only them, as much as he wanted to. They weren't the only ones going through initiation. He jumped through the trees to find some more students to watch. He noticed Ruby and Weiss walking together. _That's not going to end well. At least they're both good fighters… if what Ozpin showed me of Ruby's fight with Roman is any indication._ He kept moving. He noticed a male teenager with long black hair tied into a ponytail that ended midway down his back walking with an orange-haired girl. The boy wore a dark green, diagonally-buttoned, long-sleeved tailcoat with black and gold trimming and pink cuffs. The girl wore a collared black vest that ended at her waist. Her pink skirt ended mid-thigh, and had a turquoise bow at the back. She had some armor around a white sleeveless top that had a heart shape cut into it. She was carrying a hammer- which seemed far too heavy for her to lift- in her gloved hands. The boy was carrying no visible weapons. Talon watched them for a bit, and heard what sounded like a girl screaming off in the distance. At the same time, he heard an Ursa's cry from below him. He wanted to help whoever was screaming, but he also wanted to see these two fight. Instead of fighting, however, the girl picked the boy up with one arm and threw him into the air. She then turned her hammer into a type of gun. She jumped onto the back of the oncoming Ursa, then shot it in the back with something explosive. She appeared to be trying to steer it. The boy landed on the Ursa's back behind the girl. She looked back and smiled, then kicked her heels into the Ursa's side.

"YEE-HAW! Giddyup!" The Ursa started running, and Talon decided to try to track them as they headed north. Not like he needed to try too hard. He heard the explosions from the girl's weapon every time she fired it- and that was pretty often. He followed them all the way to the northern end of the forest where the relics were being kept. The girl let out another cowboy yell as the Ursa fell. "Aw… It's broken…" Talon couldn't help but smile. The boy slid off of the Ursa's back and leaned against it, panting.

"Nora! Please… Don't ever do that again…" Ren looked at where Nora was and noticed that she was long gone. Nora was already at the 'relics'- which were simple chess pieces- and had grabbed the white rook.

"I'm queen of the castle! I'm queen of the castle!" Talon laughed softly at this. The boy, however, wasn't amused.

" **NORA!** " Nora had the piece on her head. She saluted and tipped her head, dropping the rook into her free hand.

"Coming, Ren!" She started skipping towards Ren. Talon was prepared to keep watching, then he felt the presence of someone behind him.

"I wish I knew how exactly you do that." He turned to see a misty Michael floating right behind him. Michael floated to "stand" right next to Talon, then solidified into his normal form. "And before you say it, I know your body was bonded with water. That still shouldn't let you do this." Michael laughed.

"Oh, admit it. You're just jealous of my powers." Talon smiled, then attempted to whack Michael upside the head. His hand connected. With water. Michael's now watery face looked at him and smiled. Talon drew his hand back, and Michael solidified again. He stuck his tongue out at Talon. Talon smiled.

"Well, you watch them. I'm gonna see if I can find Rie and Sam." Michael nodded, and turned back into a mist. Talon jumped from his perch and went to find Rie and Sam. He heard shotgun blasts and stabbing sounds from his left. _I guess that's them._ He hurried to the source of the combat, but stopped when he heard a loud roar nearby- a roar he had never heard before. He was still a good distance away from the fighting. He decided to look into it. He looked through a clearing in the trees, and gasped at what he saw.

 ** _To Be continued..._**


	15. Chapter 12: Part 2

Rie was exhausted. She had kept up with Sam's combat skills after their first battle, but they had fought nearly nonstop. _I didn't know there were this many Grimm in Remnant! Much less in this forest!_ Their count was probably around a couple dozen Grimm in the last three encounters alone. Right now, they were surrounded by no less than 6 decomposing Grimm corpses. She and Sam decided to rest for a bit before heading on. _Thank goodness we can rest now. I don't think I can walk another step…_ She looked at Sam. "Well, how much farther do you think the ruins are?" Sam leaned against a tree.

"Not sure, lass." He wiped some sweat away from his forehead. "But we've got to be close, aye?" She nodded.

"I hope so. I don't know how much longer I can keep up with my 'stipulation.'" Sam nodded, then looked off to the side and grabbed his shotgun. "What's up?" Sam narrowed his eyes, then aimed at a nearby tree.

"I think we're being watched by… something." He fired a shot. Rie thought she saw a flash of red dash away right before Sam fired, but she was too tired to be sure. A blue jay flew out of the tree. Sam laughed. "I'll be jumping at me own shadow, next. Just a simple bird." Rie laughed as well.

"Maybe we should get a move on. We still have the return trip to worry about." Sam nodded, then pushed himself off the tree. Rie sighed, then got up. "Let's go."

"Wait," a muffled voice called out to them. Sam and Rie jumped, then looked to the source of the voice. It was Talon. He had his face mask down. She always thought he looked like a deadly assassin when he had his face concealed. They both sighed in relief.

"So that was you in the tree!" Talon didn't react. In fact, he ignored Sam.

"I come with a message." Rie knew that tone. He was all business right now. His helmet shifted to her direction. "Ms. Himora, you are allowed to use your Semblance to its fullest potential. Ozpin believes that you are competent enough with the stipulation. That, and you will need to fight what is coming with your whole power." Talon jumped back into the trees and was gone. Sam looked at Rie.

"Hear that, lass!?" She nodded.

 _Finally! I can fight like normal!... Wait… What's coming?_ She looked around, then heard a loud roar from her left. She also heard loud stomping. She uncorked some Dust vials and sat down. Sam reached for his gun. "I've got this, Sam. Just sit back and watch." Sam nodded, hesitantly. _Come at me, Grimm. Come to your demise._ The stomping was getting closer. Rie directed some Dust into a large spear and axe above her head. Whatever was coming was nearly upon them. She looked over at Sam. He absently hovered his bare hand over his shotgun. Her attention was drawn towards the direction the Grimm was. She heard paws and hooves beating the earth. They were in sync with each other. _2 Grimm, then. Doesn't matter. They shall fall._ She readied her Dust weapons to strike. She saw a paw enter the clearing. A rather large, black paw. The owner's head followed a second after. It was a lion's head. _They were afraid of a giant Lion?_ A few moments later, she saw a black goat head enter the clearing. It had no visible legs as of yet. The lion started to circle her as it entered the clearing, and she and Sam gasped. The Grimm in front of them was no lion or goat. It was a mix of the two! And, instead of a tail, it had a living black snake on its hind end. _Oh! This is… unexpected…_ The lion-goat-snake-thing let out an unnatural roar as the snake tail lashed out at her at lightning speed. She barely smacked the tail- or head?- away with her Dust axe. She decided that she would need more Dust, and she uncorked some vials. Instead of letting the Dust stream out like normal, she ripped the Dust out and formed a few more spears, a sword, and a mace. She slammed the mace down hard on the lion head. This stunned the creature for a few seconds. The creature pounced once it recovered, and Rie created a shield in front of her to stop it in its tracks. The creature smacked into the barrier hard enough to crack it. Rie's jaw dropped a bit. _This thing can hit as hard as Archangel!?_ She dropped the barrier. As soon as she did, the goat head spit black fire at her. She jumped back, just narrowly dodging the flames. She stabbed one of her spears into the thing's side. The creature barely flinched. She tried to cut it in half with her axe, but the blade bounced off harmlessly. The creature pounced again, and she stabbed a spear into its stomach. It had an effect, but it was the impact alone that made the creature flinch. The creature tackled her. _NO! Not like this!_

"Get off her ya filthy freak!" She saw Sam's anchor fly into the creature's lion head. The creature staggered backwards off of her.

 _Wait a second…_ She called out to Sam. "AIM FOR ITS HEADS!" She stabbed one of her spears into the snake head as it lashed out at her, pinning it to the ground. The creature howled in agony as the snake head started writhing on the ground. It appeared to be in its last death throws. _One down, two to go._ Sam harpooned the lion head right in the eye. He then turned the harpoon into the anchor form, ruining the face. Rie slashed her Dust sword and axe in opposite directions through the goat head, decapitating it. The Grimm crumpled before them, and started evaporating. Rie returned the Dust to her vials, and collapsed on the ground. Sam walked over and sat down. Rie looked up at him. "Well, that was a thing." Sam laughed.

"Aye. Let's agree to not do that again, aye lass?" Rie was too tired to laugh.

"Yeah. I'm just gonna recoup here for a bit. Watch out for me?" Sam nodded. Rie closed her eyes and she fell instantly asleep.

* * *

He smiled at the two students. Sam was starting to get tired, and it showed. Rie was out cold. _Poor guys. They were exhausted. I hope Ozpin doesn't mind me keeping the Grimm away from them._ He started circling the clearing, putting more distance between it and himself with each rotation. He saw no Grimm in the immediate area, so he set up some motion sensors around the clearing. He returned to his original perch, then allowed himself to think upon his report to Ozpin about the creature. " _Ozpin, we have a problem."_

" _Yes, Professor?"_ Ozpin started to drink from his mug.

" _We've got a Chimera here."_ Ozpin stopped for a second, then finished drinking his coffee.

" _Are you sure, Professor? This isn't something to say lightly."_ Talon nodded at this.

" _It's a Chimera, Oz. I wouldn't say it unless I was sure."_ Ozpin nodded.

" _I know, Talon. I'm sorry for doubting you."_

" _How should I proceed? Should I kill it?"_ Ozpin thought about this for a bit.

" _Tell me, how confident are you in Miss Himora's skill with her Semblance?"_ Talon could see where this was going.

" _I believe that, were her restriction lifted, she could take a Chimera. If she figured out how to kill one, that is."_ Ozpin nodded.

" _Tell her that her stipulation is lifted for the rest of initiation. Do not tell her about the Chimera's weakness."_

" _Yes sir."_ Talon hadn't felt he needed to tell her, anyway. He knew that she would either know how already or would figure it out quickly. His armor's scroll brought him back to reality. He answered it quickly. "Talon Teknos speaking." It was Glynda.

"Professor Teknos, tell Ms. Himora and Mr. Jones that they are to report immediately to Beacon Cliff when they are able. Tell them not to worry about the relics." Talon nodded. He looked for signs in Glynda's face that would betray the reason for the order, but found none.

"Yes ma'am." Glynda ended the call, and Talon started collecting his alarm systems. When he was finished, he willed part of his helmet to cover his face like a knight's faceplate would. Once finished, he stepped into the clearing. Sam had dozed off while standing guard. Talon walked over to him and placed one gauntleted hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Jones." Sam started.

"Wha- Who's there!?" He looked at Talon. "Oh. Just you, lad. Sir, I mean!" Talon was glad he had his face covered, because he couldn't help but smile.

 _Lad? Well, I guess we are the same age. Must be hard for him to remember that I'm a teacher…_ "You and Ms. Himora are to return to Beacon Cliff as soon as you are able." Sam looked confused.

"But what about-" Talon interrupted.

"Do not worry about the relics. Now, go as soon as you are able." Before Sam could respond, Talon jumped backwards into the treeline. He did a flip into the branches above, and landed in a perched position as he watched Sam wake Rie. He gently shook the girl as Talon saw his lips move. Rie shifted, then opened her eyes. She stretched, then got up. As she brushed herself off, Sam started walking towards the cliff. Rie called out to him, and he stopped. She uncorked some vials and formed a hoverboard in between them. Rie hopped on and gestured for Sam to join her. Talon figured that he should probably make it back to Beacon Cliff before the two students, and made his way back. He knew how fast Rie could move on that board, so he dropped out of the branches and started running. He activated the Movement Dust in his armor and sped along the ground. About a minute later, he saw Beacon Cliff before him. He deactivated his Dust, returning to normal speed. He jumped as he reached the base of the cliff and started climbing up. As he mounted the cliff, he noticed that most of the students had already returned. Michael and Glynda were standing on opposite sides of Ozpin. Glynda was observing something on her scroll, while Michael was simply drinking from his flask. Talon shook his head, and stood next to Glynda, face still covered. "They are on their way back." Glynda nodded.

"I am aware. Ozpin wishes to speak to you and Professor Frost alone." She stepped aside, and Talon took his place next to Ozpin.

"Come, Professors." Ozpin began walking to one side. The students were shifting uneasily.

 _They probably think he's discussing the results with us…_ Talon and Michael followed Ozpin. When they were out of earshot, Ozpin started speaking.

"Both of you will be relieved to know that Ms. Himora and Mr. Jones have passed initiation." The hair on Talon's neck stood on end.

 _I know that type of tone…_ Ozpin drank from his mug. "But…?" Ozpin faced him.

"But, they would make up a two-man team." Michael froze. Talon felt a bit of panic.

 _No! Rie needs a full team watching her back! She may be strong on her own, but she isn't good at reading a full battlefield! One on one, she's nearly invincible. However, you rarely ever fight one on one in this job!_ It was moments like this that made Talon glad for his faceplate. He did his sword exercise to calm his mind. _Ok, think. How can I make sure she has a full team? I need to stall…_ "Forgive me, Ozpin, but that seems like a bad idea." Michael spoke up.

"Yeah! They're still in training and aren't that strong yet! Two-man teams are generally not done until more advanced years, right? So, what's the deal?" Talon looked at Michael in shock.

 _So, he WAS paying attention when I was telling him about Remnant customs…_ Ozpin lifted an eyebrow at Michael.

"That is correct, Professor. However, wouldn't you agree that these two are a special case? They work well together, and they compliment each other's fighting ability rather well. It's either make them a two-man team or send them home. Unless you two have a suggestion?" Talon thought frantically.

 _If they aren't a two-man team, they're kicked out. If they are a two-man team, they could die! I won't lose my apprentice! … Wait… THAT'S IT!_ "Ozpin, if I may?" Ozpin motioned for him to continue. "Rie Himora has been my assistant for many years. If I am to be a teacher here, I may need her assistance during the years I am here. Besides, I would like to train her myself in hand to hand when I have time. Hard to do if she's doing homework all the time, isn't it?" Ozpin thought for a second.

"Interesting. And what should I do about Mr. Jones?" Talon froze.

 _Right… I forgot about him…_ He was so worried about Rie, he forgot about the fact that it was a TWO-man team. Before he could ponder, Michael spoke up.

"He could be my assistant. If Talon gets an assistant, then I want one, too." Talon sighed slightly. Ozpin looked at the two boys standing before him with no emotion. He smiled.

"Very well. That is what we will do. The four of you will be an honorary team: Team MSTR [Masters], led by Michael Frost." Talon and Michael both started at this. "This will only take effect on missions, mind you. When either of you accept a mission outside of school, you will be accepting it for all four members of your team. Also, Michael will be in charge of any missions you perform. Now, about rooms for your assistants…" Talon spoke, still a little dazed by Ozpin's words.

 _Michael's our leader!? This is going to be… interesting…_ "Rie and I have no problem rooming together. She is my apprentice, after all." Ozpin lifted an eyebrow.

"Are you sure that is wise, Professor? Think VERY carefully about the implications of these words." Talon nodded. "Very well. And I assume that Sam will be staying in your room, Professor Frost?" Michael nodded. Ozpin looked at each of them in turn. "Very well. I shall make your team official during the acceptance ceremony later today. You will be officially recognized as Team MSTR at that point in time." The three looked back to the students right as Rie and Sam returned. "Now, we must tell the students that initiation is over." The two boys nodded and followed Ozpin back to stand in front of the students.

 _Michael Frost as our leader… We might be doomed…_

 _I owe you all a HUGE apology... Life has been kicking me in the hind quarters as far as time goes! I haven't had time to upload this because of work and other things getting in the way! Anyway, as for this chapter's trivia:_

 _The Chimera Grimm was created by myself and a friend. I wanted to create an interesting enemy for Rie and Sam to fight to show off some of their fighting abilities. History of the Chimera in Remnant will be discussed in the upcoming chapters. Stay tuned!_

 _-VaanRat_


End file.
